#34: The Social Instinct - How Cooperation Shaped the World: Interview with Nichola Raihani

Book Talk Today with Aun Abdi

On Episode #34 of the Book Talk Today podcast we are joined by Nichola Raihani.

Nichola is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Professor in Evolution and Behaviour at UCL, otherwise known as University College London. She is leader of the Social Evolution and Behaviour Lab at UCL, and her research focuses on the evolution of social behaviour in humans and non-human species. Today we will be discussing her debut book, 'The Social Instinct: How Cooperation Shaped the World.'

Nichola's Twitter - https://twitter.com/nicholaraihani

Social Evolution and Behaviour Lab - http://www.seb-lab.org/

Timestamps

[0:00] - Intro.

[1:23] - Why is cooperation an interesting topic of discussion?

[3:13] - A brief introduction to 'The Origin of Species'.

[5:42] - The relationship between the individual gene and the individual as a whole.

[8:49] - What's the purpose of a gene, and the reasons for its longevity?

[10:25] - The Mother's Curse of genes.

[15:14] - The genetic inevitability of cancer.

[22:53] - Some of Nicola's findings in the field.

[26:42] - Are humans cooperative breeders?

[31:02] - The role of teaching in different animals kingdoms.

[39:58] - The relationship between interdependence and reciprocity.

[43:52] - Does globalisation mean a move away from reciprocity to interdependence?

[48:15] - The negative impact of free-riders and cooperation.

[51:59] - What are the biological conditions necessary to allow human cooperation to flourish in the future?

[55:42] - Outro