I’m honored to share that I’ll be joining the Global Salon Series this Tuesday in San Francisco for a panel discussion titled “Alignment for a Major Evolutionary Transition: The Future of Humanity and AI.”

💞 Friendship isn’t about keeping score. It’s about helping when it counts. In our new The Conversation article, @jessicadayers.bsky.social & I explore why true friendship works like risk-pooling, not exchange. Read here 👉 doi.org/10.64628/AAI... #Friendship #Psychology

🧠🔥 Join us at #ZAMM2025! Got a theory too wild for peer review? A study too ambitious to fund? Pitch it at Extreme Experiments & Unhinged Hypotheses — 5-min lightning talks where imagination rules. Submit here 👉 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

🚨 Call for Wild Ideas 🚨 Got a theory too bold for a grant? A study so extreme it borders sci-fi? Pitch it at Extreme Experiments & Unhinged Hypotheses—5-min lightning talks at #ZAMM2025. Submit here 👉 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... More info: zombiemed.org

🚨 Antibiotic resistance isn’t inevitable. National-level action works, but it has to be consistent and well-supported. Our study shows that even incremental improvements can reduce antibiotic resistance trends. journals.plos.org/globalpublic... #PublicHealth #HealthPolicy #AMR

The next Research Ideation Lunch: Apocalypse Pop-Up Café is Mon, Nov 17. We’ll explore the future of AI in business, education, health, supply chains & finance. Apocalypse Cafés = playful spaces to spark ideas, build trust & collaborations. #AI #Research #Collaboration #WPCResearch

🔍 We review how organisms—from bacteria to parasites—interfere with pain systems, and what it means for: ⚕️ Public health 🧪 Infectious disease 💊 Pain treatment and management onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... #Neurobiology #GlobalHealth

What happens when everything falls apart? 🌍 Join me for the W. P. Carey Research Ideation: Apocalypse Pop-Up Café on Sept 9, 11:30–1:00 @ ASU. Let’s rethink business + resilience in uncertain times. RSVP 👉 www.eventbrite.com/e/research-i...

Can shared faith help people cooperate on something as complex as health care? In the U.S., health care sharing ministries (HCSMs) offer a powerful real-world example of how religion can facilitate cooperation. www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1... #Religion #Cooperation #HealthCare

Fitness interdependence can unify insights from psychology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology—offering a framework to solve long-standing puzzles of human cooperation. #Cooperation #HumanSociality #EvolutionaryTheory

Your child may live in you forever—literally. Fetal cells can stay in a mother’s body for decades. But do they help or hurt? Our paper uses evolutionary conflict theory to explore how fetal microchimerism affects maternal health. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

What is shame for? It’s not just a social emotion—it’s an evolved defense mechanism against being devalued by others. New cross-cultural research shows shame works the same way across the globe. www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1... #EvolutionaryPsychology #Emotions #Anthropology

Why do we get cancer? It’s not just bad luck—it’s evolution. This special issue explores how evolutionary biology is reshaping our understanding of cancer: why it exists, how it grows, and what we can do about it. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... #CancerEvolution #Oncology

What if tumors evolve like ecosystems? We applied life history theory to cancer to explain why tumor cells show such diverse behaviors—from rapid growth to quiet dormancy. #CancerEvolution #LifeHistoryTheory www.nature.com/articles/nrc...

Can you hear a fake laugh? Turns out: yes, you can. Our research shows that people can reliably distinguish spontaneous laughter from volitional (fake) laughter, and that each type has unique acoustic signatures. #Laughter #SocialSignals #CognitiveScience www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Abstract submission for ZAMM2025 closes next week (July 15)! Abstract submission is open for all topics related to zombies, the apocalypse, and anything related to our theme for this year. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

What if there’s no such thing as a unified “self”? According to a modular view of the mind, what we call the “self” is really a collection of specialized systems, each shaped by evolution to navigate a messy social world. journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1... #CognitiveScience #ModularMind

Great conversation with Clay Routledge about my book A Field Guide to the Apocalypse. Humans evolved to be resilient through cooperation, creativity & curiosity. We can thrive, even in turbulent times. profectusmag.com/adapted-for-... #ApocalypsePreparedness #HumanFlourishing #Cooperation

Cooperation doesn't always need complex cognition. Just leaving bad partners behind can be enough to make cooperation evolve. Sometimes, walking away is an evolutionary superpower. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... #Evolution #Cooperation #BehavioralEcology

Not all tumors evolve the same way. Our paper proposes a new framework to classify tumors based on how they evolve and the ecosystems they are embedded in. Say hello to the Evo-Eco Index! www.nature.com/articles/nrc... #CancerEvolution #Oncology #PrecisionMedicine

Cancer is not an anomaly - it’s a risk inherent in being multicellular. By studying it as broken cooperation, we gain a deeper understanding of its nature and how to fight it. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.... #EvoDevo #Multicellularity #Biomedicine

What do dancing, drumming & talking have in common? They all rely on entrainment, our ability to sync with rhythmic patterns. Our paper offers a unifying framework across domains: music, movement, communication, & evolution. #Entrainment #Rhythm online.ucpress.edu/mp/article-a...

What if your food cravings aren’t your cravings? Our paper explores how gut microbes may hijack your brain to get the food they want. Yes, your microbes might be manipulating you. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... #Microbiome #GutBrainAxis #FoodCravings

Excited to be featured in Templeton Ideas - the article dives into my work on cooperation, risk sharing, and why we need to teach collaboration as a core human skill. www.templeton.org/news/houston... #Cooperation #RiskSharing

Our paper highlights the power & complexity of cancer heterogeneity: we analyzed 1,165 tumor exomes across 12 cancer types using EXPANDS & PyClone. 86% of tumors had ≥2 clones. Intratumor heterogeneity is the rule, not the exception. #CancerResearch www.nature.com/articles/nm....

I thought I was extremely lucky - then, a flicker. Something floated up from my subconscious: My mom’s autopsy report. My essay about the secret my mom took with her to the grave, and how learning it changed my life. https://www.transformationnarratives.com/blog/2020/05/28/the-secret-she-never-knew

Excited to keynote IT@UofT Transforming Tomorrow conference at the University of Toronto this Thursday! Amid pandemics, climate change & AI advances, many doubt our resilience. Yet history shows humans repeatedly adapt to existential threats. https://conference2025.its.utoronto.ca/schedule/speakers/

Join me this Thursday 4/17 at @exploratorium.bsky.social for After Dark: Resilience — a night of games, performances & interactive exhibits exploring how we navigate uncertainty together. 🎲💡 6–10PM | Pier 15, SF Details: www.exploratorium.edu/visit/calend... #AfterDark #Resilience #Exploratorium

Grateful for this thoughtful review of A Field Guide to the Apocalypse by Tal Gur of Elevate Society: “A reassuring and insightful perspective… fosters a sense of empowerment and optimism.” elevatesociety.com/a-field-guid... #ApocalypseGuide #Resilience #Community #Cooperation

​How do you manage stress in apocalyptic times? 🧠 Gather information 🗣️ Connect with others 🎻 Be adventurous & have fun Had a blast at @harvard.edu giving a talk based on my book A Field Guide to the Apocalypse—complete with bluegrass, laughter & survival strategies. #ApocalypseSurvival

Sponges can survive 60,000 human chest X-rays without developing cancer. Our study shows that Tethya wilhelma is incredibly radioresistant—hinting at powerful, ancient mechanisms for DNA repair & cancer resistance. Could sponges unlock new cancer therapies?

Why do some species suppress cancer into old age? Our study shows how inclusive fitness—through parental care, grandparental support, and cooperative breeding—can drive stronger selection for cancer suppression, even after reproduction ends. #EvolutionaryBiology #CancerResearch

Excited to be featured in @cambridgeday.bsky.social talking about A Field Guide to the Apocalypse and how we can survive wild times 🌍🔥 Hear my talk this Thursday at 6 p.m. at Harvard Science Center Hall A (1 Oxford St., Cambridge). Free & open to all! www.cambridgeday.com/2025/03/23/h...

How can risk-pooling systems boost resilience in times of crisis? Our study outlines 7 key principles—from prioritizing unpredictable needs to ensuring transparency and trust—that make these systems effective. #Resilience #RiskManagement #SocialSystems

Evolutionary medicine holds untapped potential to transform biomedicine & public health. From tackling treatment resistance to understanding disease mismatches, its insights can spark innovation & guide policies for a healthier future. #EvolutionaryMedicine #PublicHealth

How well is evolution taught in medical schools? We found progress since 2003, but evolution's coverage still lags behind its importance for health issues like antibiotic resistance. Faculty expertise & resources could bridge the gap. #MedicalEducation #EvolutionaryMedicine

What is the simplest organism that eats socially? Our study shows that Trichoplax adhaerens—lacking nerves or muscles— digest food together, suggesting that sociality is fundamental even in the simplest animals. 🌊🦠 #Evolution #BehavioralEcology #Sociobiology

Can cancer cells cooperate in ways that drive metastasis? Our study reveals how transient cooperation between non-tumorigenic clones and metastatic clones can fuel tumor spread in ovarian cancer. www.nature.com/articles/s41... #CancerResearch #Metastasis #TumorBiology

Can cancer treatment learn from infectious disease strategies? Our research explores the trade-offs between controlling tumors vs. eradicating them, applying insights from infectious disease dynamics. #CancerResearch #EvolutionaryMedicine

Why do tumors have so many nonstem cancer cells when only stem cells can propagate them? Our study uses evolutionary models to explore this paradox, suggesting that some tumors may have functional division of labor. #CancerResearch #EvolutionaryBiology

Are you ready for the unexpected? 🌎🔥 Ever wondered what you’d actually need in a prepper go-bag? Whether it’s for a sudden evacuation, a power outage, or just being ready for life’s curveballs, I break down the essentials in this piece. #Preparedness #GoBag #EmergencyKit #SurvivalSkills #StayReady

Just had the best experience again at the @buenavidabodega with Rae and Jackie! The Apocalypse Road Show brought together academics and artists alike who share a community-based vision. While my conversations about hosting events at the bodega may have begun with these (cont.)

What's the science behind our love of horror? 🧟‍♂️ Dr. Coltan Scrivner presents "The Evolution of Scary Play" at ASU From horror films to apocalyptic scenarios, explore how morbid curiosity shapes human behavior and builds resilience. Feb 6, 3:30PM (AZ) PSY 230 / Zoom

What was you favorite book about cooperation that you read this year? I'm updating my syllabus for my cooperation class that I'm teaching this spring and I would love to know what has been the most interesting to you - I might include it in my class!

With only a few clicks, you too can look like my friend Paola here holding her very own copy of AFGTTA! This little gem is packed with fascinating insights and tips on navigating any apocalyptic scenario—and my book is pretty helpful, too! ;)

Why do we expect repayment for helping others sometimes (debt-based help), but at other times we help without any explicit expectation of repayment (need-based help)? We (Lee Cronk, Denise Mercado & @athenaaktipis.bsky.social) investigated this question🧵 link.springer.com/article/10.1...

We (Denise Mercado @jessicadayers.bsky.social Andrew Van Horn @joealcock.bsky.social Peter Todd Lee Cronk & @athenaaktipis.bsky.social) replicated our findings in a nationally representative sample of US adults. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Incredibly grateful to share that I’ve reached 100 peer-reviewed publications—a milestone reflecting collaborative research and countless hours of teamwork with incredible co-authors. Feeling humbled and excited about our collective contributions!! #InterdisciplinaryResearch

I'm looking for bold thinkers who see risk not as a problem, but as a challenge we can approach with a sense of adventure and something we can collectively rise to face. Grad students: apply to work with me!

We extended an agent-based model from Aktipis et al., & similarly found that in interdependent groups, as long as some (but not all) requests for help involved genuine need, always sharing was individually beneficial, but stinginess was individually detrimental: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...