Cumulative culture working group

I participated in a working group at SFI on cumulative culture. I also gave a talk where I discussed the potential for the seeds of cumulative culture to emerge from animal and human interaction rules.

Overview of the working group (from SFI’s coverage here):


Throughout human evolutionary history, individuals have developed new ideas, materials, and technologies, then passed them on to other individuals and groups.

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Community lecture at SITE Santa Fe

I presented a community lecture at SITE Santa Fe (a contemporary art space in downtown Santa Fe) as part of their “Digest This!” series.

I talked about the recent parakeet invasion in Mexico, going in to the biology and natural history of invasions, and how the biological side interacts with the human side through politics, international trade, and regulations.… [Read full details]

SFI collaboration visitor: David Fisher

I invited David Fisher to SFI for a research collaboration visit. We had a great time talking about new ideas, networks, hierarchies, and more all week, and even fit in some hiking at the Tsankawi Ruins.

David gave a talk while he was at SFI:


Estimating Indirect Effects in a Wild and Anti-Social Mammal

Nearly all organisms interact with conspecifics at some point in their lives, and as such can affect one another’s phenotypes.[Read full details]