Darwin@LSE

Darwin@LSE explores recent developments in evolutionary thinking, in particular what evolutionary theory can tell us about human nature - understanding our bodies, brains, minds, behaviour and aspects of culture as the products of adaptations evolved by natural selection. The Darwin@LSE programme was launched in April 1995. It rapidly became established as a world-renowned focus for Darwinian ideas and helped to place Darwinian theory on the intellectual agenda.

Project Leader: Helena Cronin

Duration of the Project: Ongoing, since 1995

COLLABORATORS

• Oliver Curry (Dr) Until July 2008, in CPNSS. In July 2008 Dr Curry took up a post-doctoral research position in the Institute for Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, at the University of Oxford. Since then he has been engaged in a number of empirical projects on the evolved psychology of cooperation and coalition-formation. LSE undergraduates have formed part of the 'participant pool' for some of these experiments -- this invaluable resource is available only because of his continued association with CPNSS. This work has resulted in several talks and papers-in-preparation.
• Richard H Webb (Dr) Zoologist; freelance consultant.

PUBLICATIONS 2008-09

Helena Cronin

1. Cronin, H. (2008) A world without Darwin. In Dawkins R. (ed.) The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing, Oxford, Oxford University Press, pp. 16--18.
2. Cronin, H. (2008) More dumbbells but more Nobels: Why men are at the top, EDGE: Annual Question 2008. http://www.edge.org/q2008/q08_index.html. (Also discussed in the media worldwide; e.g: Telegraph, Independent, Guardian, Corriere Della Sera, De Zeit, Toronto Globe and Mail).
3. Cronin, H. (2008) Getting human nature right. In Brockman J. (ed.) Science at the Edge: Conversations with leading scientific thinkers of today, New York, Union Square Press, pp. 57—69.
4. Cronin, H. (2008) Mind the (gender) gap: It's more than cultural, Cape Times, 29 August, p. 11
5. Cronin, H. and Curry, O. (2008) Darwinism's fantastic voyage, The Lancet, 372 (December), S5--S10.
6. Cronin, H. (2008) Qs and As: Why does Darwin still matter? How does his theory affect your work today? Fast Company, December.
7. Cronin, H. (2008) Charles Darwin, o homem que mudou o pensamento científico, Correio Braziliense, 12 January.
8. Cronin, H. (2009) Favourite passages from 'The Origin of Species', New York Times, February 2009.

Oliver Curry

1. Cronin, H., & Curry, O. (2008). Darwinism's fantastic voyage. The Lancet, 372, S5-S10
2. Pietraszewski, D., Curry, O., Peterson, M. B., Cosmides, L., & Tooby, J. (in preparation). Politics erases race but not sex: Party support is treated by the evolved mind as a signal of coalition.
3. Curry, O., & Jones-Chesters, M. (in preparation). 'Put Yourself in My Shoes': An investigation of the role of 'theory of mind' in solving coordination problems.
4. Curry, O., & Jones-Chesters, M. (in preparation). The role of 'theory of mind' in belief in the supernatural.
5. Curry, O. S., Price, M. E., & Price, J. G. (in press). Patience is a virtue: cooperative people have lower discount rates. Personality and Individual Differences.
6. Curry, O. (forthcoming). Selfish gene theory. In T. Benton (Ed.), The Seventy Great Mysteries of Nature: Thames & Hudson.
7. Curry, O. (forthcoming). The conflict-resolution theory of virtue. In W. P. Sinnott-Armstrong (Ed.), Moral Psychology (Vol. I). Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.

See also http://www.lse.ac.uk/darwin/publications/|

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Darwin@LSE is not running any public events at present. (For past events, see http://www.lse.ac.uk/darwin/events|).

TALKS AND INVITED LECTURES

Helena Cronin

• The Tanner Lectures: 'Response to Marc Hauser', Princeton University, 12 November 2008
• 'Tough at the Top', The Wellcome Trust, London, 15 May 2008
• 'Men are from physics, women are from psychology: An evolutionary perspective on sex differences at work', University of Cape Town, 28 August 2008
• 'Men are from physics, women are from psychology: An evolutionary perspective on sex differences at work', Stellenbosch University, 28 August 2008
• 'Men are from physics, women are from psychology: An evolutionary perspective on sex and science', Genetics Group, University of Cambridge, 16 October 2008
• 'Discussing Darwin: Why gentlemen prefer blondes and women prefer millionaires', Natural History Museum, 27 March 2009
• 'Nature Live: Why gentlemen prefer blondes and women prefer millionaires', Natural History Museum, 6 May 2009

Oliver Curry

• The Evolution of Coalitions, Darwin's Medicine, ESRC Seminar Series, University of Edinburgh, UK (April 2009)
• Morality as Natural History, Darwin Special Interest Weekend, Christ Church College, Oxford (March 2009)
• The Psychopath's Dilemma, The Moral Brain Workshop, University of Ghent, Belgium (September 2008)
• Can 'Race' be Erased in Politics? The Psychology of Political Coalitions, Human Behavior and Evolution Society Annual Meeting, University of Kyoto, Japan (June 2008)

MEDIA

Helena Cronin

• 'The battle of the sexes', Interview with Eduard Punset, Redes (science programme), RTVE (Spanish international television), 2008
• 'Women at work', Interview with Louise Gendron, L'actualité, September 2008
• 'Darwin', Interview for GloboNews (Brazilian television), December 2008

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information see the Darwin@LSE website: http://www.lse.ac.uk/darwin|