On The Primate Diaries, Eric Michael Johnson writes "not acting our age may be the very reason why we're so successful as a species." Like the bonobo which can be seen unlocking the cage of an unrelated individual just to share food, humans may retain juvenile characteristics that help us to "cooperate and share with others." But while sharing food is laudable, telling the world how drunk you got last night can be a bit less noble. Jonah Lehrer on The Frontal Cortex calls Facebook "a perfect example of too much information" and says that despite technological platforms, "our social lives haven't changed that much since we were hairy apes patrolling the African forest." And Sharon Astyk blurs the lines of genealogy on Casaubon's Book, saying the tribe is due for a comeback as the future makes new demands on our lifestyle. Sharon writes, "sometimes the tribes will be biological in nature. Sometimes they will be mostly chosen. Most often, I think they will be odd intersections of both." So let's get together; here's to one big happy family.
Links below the fold.
- Bonobos and the Child-Like Joy of Sharing on The Primate Diaries
- Facebook Friends on The Frontal Cortex
- Father and Mother and Uncle John...: Tribalism and a Place at the Table on Casaubon's Book
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