Behavioral Scientist’s Summer Book List 2024
The summer book list is a chance to peruse a collection of the most compelling behavioral science books published so far this year.
Books
Understanding Energy Is Essential to Understanding Ourselves: A Q&A with Michael Muthukrishna (Part 2)
The common constraint for all life is the ability to find and use energy, yet we take it for granted, says Michael Muthukrishna. In his new book, he makes the case that energy should be central in how we understand ourselves and how we design our world.
How to Cultivate Taste in the Age of Algorithms
When we turn to algorithms for recommendations instead of asking friends or going down hard-won cultural rabbit holes, what do we give up?
Moving Behavioral Science from Alchemy to Chemistry: A Conversation with Michael Muthukrishna (Part 1)
Michael Muthukrishna wants to integrate the science of human beings, from genes to culture to our environments, into ‘a theory of everyone.’ Doing so, he says, is key to advancing social and behavioral science.
Is It All a Fluke? Lessons From Playing God in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment
It’s easy to believe that small, chance moments don’t make a material difference on our lives and societies. But a long-running evolution experiment suggests that life’s course may come down to the random details.
A New Philosophy of Productivity
The problem is not with productivity in a general sense, but instead with a specific faulty definition that has taken hold in recent decades. Here’s what should replace it.