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- Up one level
- Beyond the roots of human inaction: Fostering collective effort toward ecosystem conservation
Elise Amel, Christie Manning, Britain Scott, Susan Koger. Science 21 Apr 2017;356(6335):275-279 Abstract The term “environmental problem” exposes a fundamental misconception: Disruptions of Earth’s ecosystems are at their root a human behavior problem. Psychology is a potent tool for understanding the external and internal drivers of human behavior that lead to unsustainable living. Psychologists already contribute to individual-level behavior-change campaigns in the service of sustainability, but attention is turning toward understanding and facilitating the role of individuals in collective and collaborative actions that will modify the environmentally damaging systems in which humans are embedded. Especially crucial in moving toward long-term human and environmental well-being are transformational individuals who step outside of the norm, embrace ecological principles, and inspire collective action. Particularly in developed countries, fostering legions of sustainability leaders rests upon a fundamental renewal of humans’ connection to the natural world.
- E.O. Wilson – Of Ants and Men
E.O. Wilson - Of Ants and Men PBS. Aired: 09/30/2015; 01:52:40 An exploration of the remarkable life and groundbreaking ideas of biologist E.O Wilson, founder of the discipline of sociobiology.
- Glass and McAfee - Behavioral science at the crossroads in public health
Social Science & Medicine 62 (2006) 1650–1671 Behavioral science at the crossroads in public health: Extending horizons, envisioning the future Thomas A. Glass, Matthew J. McAtee
- RadioLab - Emergence
Radio Lab - Season 1 | Episode 3, May 14, 2016 What happens when there is no leader? Starlings, bees, and ants manage just fine. In fact, they form staggeringly complicated societies -- all without a Toscanini to conduct them into harmony. Guests: Elizabeth Buck, John Buck, Debra Gordon, Stephen Johnson, Christof Koch, Dr. Oliver Sacks, Steve Strogatz, James Surowiecki and E.O. Wilson There is No Lord of the (Fire)Flies We begin in Thailand, watching fireflies glow in glorious synchrony, lighting up miles of mangrove trees like Christmas trees. The Invisible Hand In 1776, writer Adam Smith came up with a theory: when lots of buyers and lots of sellers get together, the resulting "market price" that emerges through all that buying and selling is in fact the work of an "invisible hand." He meant god. We think he really meant "emergence." ... The Unconscious Toscanini of the Brain How does the brain produce a thought? Or experience a unitary, whole, synchronized perception of a cup of coffee? For neuroscientists, this is the Mount Everest of questions. We have a look at one possible theory (that a thought is like lots of little neurons singing together in harmony) and ...
- Sean Carroll - The Serengeti Rules
- The Challenge of Survival for Wild Infant Baboons
Susan Alberts, American Scientist, November-December 2016;104(6):366 The traits that help primates survive infancy tell us much about how natural selection has shaped the behavior of these highly social, complex, and charismatic species. Research shows that a young primate’s social context is often the most important key to its survival. That is, although the biggest threats to infants in most primate species are nutritional stress, disease, and predators, the most important sources of protection against these threats are social relationships: the nurturing that a young animal receives from its parents, beneficent attentions it may receive from siblings and other group members, and the protection and collective knowledge of the social group as a whole. At the same time, other members of its own species can represent serious threats to an infant’s survival. These threats include unfamiliar adults (especially males), competitive groupmates, and other social groups that compete with an infant’s group for resources. Studying infant behaviors as well as those of adults toward them reveals insights about the evolution of parenting and friendship. [Accessing the article requires a login or subscription.]
- The history of our world in 18 minutes | David Christian
TED. Published Apr 11, 2011.
https://www.ted.com Backed by stunning illustrations, David Christian narrates a complete history of the universe, from the Big Bang to the Internet, in a riveting 18 minutes. This is "Big History": an enlightening, wide-angle look at complexity, life and humanity, set against our slim share of the cosmic timeline.
- Why is changing health-related behaviour so difficult?
Michael P. Kelly, Mary Barker. Public Health. July 2016;136:109–116. Highlights: • We suggest that six common errors made by policy makers prevent the successful implementation of health-related behaviour change. • We argue that the extensive body of evidence of how to bring abut behaviour change is consistently ignored. • The automatic and reflective systems described in psychology and social practice theory described in sociology are particularly important new areas for developing ideas about behaviour change.