{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2Fedd9d645-0797-4b1d-bf94-586f31069263","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"<iframe style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px;\" title=\"Episode 196 \u2013 Whispering Beta Males and Alpha Billionaires\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allow=\"clipboard-write\" seamless src=\"http://player.captivate.fm/episode/edd9d645-0797-4b1d-bf94-586f31069263\"></iframe>","title":"Episode 196 \u2013 Whispering Beta Males and Alpha Billionaires","description":"It&#8217;s time for females and whispering beta males to get together and deal with alpha billionaires.<br />\no:01 Back in Black?<br />\n2:03 Kenan Malik was in Brisbane<br />\nBut he was a bit flat and lacking energy.<br />\n4:04 Landon Hardbottom<br />\nLandon sent us a message.<br />\n5:11 The Goodness paradox by Richard Wrangham<br />\nIn this &#8220;Budget Special&#8221; episode, we will talk about tax and money and fairness and equality but let&#8217;s set the scene by first discussing us as a species.<br />\nHow did we evolve as a species?<br />\nThe Goodness Paradox by Richard Wrangham<br />\nWe are low on the scale of reactive aggression (a hot reaction of lashing out and losing one&#8217;s temper) but high on the scale of proactive aggression( cold planned and deliberate).<br />\nTolerance is rare in wild animals but common in domesticated animals. Humans are a domesticated version of an earlier human ancestor. \u00a0We differ from our ancestors like a dog differs from a wolf. How did that happen? We self-domesticated through the selective force of execution which reduced our reactive aggression<br />\nPrimitive hunter-gatherer tribes show very little infighting but high levels of inter-tribal violence. Among small scale societies such as hunter-gatherers, the kill rate is higher than rates recorded in Russia, Germany, France, Sweden and Japan from 1900 to 1990.<br />\nReactive murderers have less activity in their prefrontal cortex associated with low concentrations of serotonin. The pre-frontal cortex underperforms.<br />\nPsychopaths use proactive aggression. They have lower activity in their amygdalae. The amygdalae underperforms.<br />\nStudies show that the two types of aggression can evolve separately.<br />\nHumans are far more domesticated than any other animal. We have inbuilt desires to co-operate and a high threshold before producing reactive aggression. Why?<br />\nDomestication has surprising biological markers. Floppy ears, white spots, smaller bodies, shorter faces, feminised males, smaller brains but not smaller cognitive ability. These are non-adaptive responses in that they don&#8217;t serve a useful purpose. Like a male nipple.<br />\n1959 fox experiment started. By the 4th generation, they were wagging their tales. After 10 years, piebald spotting appeared.<br />\nNeural-crest cell migration<br />\nNeural-crest cells are unique. They appear in embryos, migrate through the embryo but disappear very early however many organs are at least partly derived from them. Melanocytes rely heavily on neural-crest cells. If the neural-crest cells migrate slowly and disappear before reaching the tips of the body then the melanocytes don&#8217;t get there either resulting in tips and tails that lack melanin and end up white-haired.<br />\nNeural-crest cells give rise to the adrenal gland. Reduce it and you consequently reduce hormone production and consequentially reduce emotional reactivity.<br />\nNeural-cell migration affects jaw size and teeth size. Slow migration leads to smaller versions. Ears are floppy if internal cartilage is too short. Again, dependent on Neural-crest cell migration.<br />\nBrain size reduction seems to be associated with Neural-crest cell migration. The reduction seems to be in areas concerned with sensory processing and also seems to be associated with a smaller amygdalae.<br />\nHas domestication occurred in the wild?<br />\nYes, Bonobos and Chimpanzees. Separated by the Congo River. Bonobos have higher levels of serotonin, smaller brains, shorter faces, smaller teeth and the males are more feminised. Also, more homosexual activity. There must have been selection against aggression which resulted in a domestication syndrome. Bonobos had better food sources (no gorillas). Females didn&#8217;t have to travel so far so could form larger sub-groups who became big enough and co-operative enough to fight off bullying males.<br />\nCould human females have done the same? No evidence of this.","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/085762e2-797c-4ef4-9b10-434ecde61c07/logo2018v2.jpg"}