sdr comments on Open thread, 14-20 July 2014 - Less Wrong

3 Post author: David_Gerard 14 July 2014 11:16AM

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Comment author: sdr 21 July 2014 12:51:21PM *  0 points [-]

Here's an evolutionary psychology question:

#1: Lemma: Replicator-selection works only through genes; that is, there is no such thing as group selection; from a reproduction perspective, the only which matters, is delta-reproduction-fitness increase.

#2: Lemma: Technologies, and techniques doesn't require gene-transfer. Once someone comes up with a new idea, that idea can freely spread across the entire population. Therefore, technologies, and techniques doesn't offer delta-reproduction-fitness increase.

#3: Observation: Some people appear to be interested more in things (as observed in Scientists, engineers; think "flow"), as opposed to other people (as predicted by the Machiavellian Intelligence Hypothesis )

For the purpose of this thread, I'm not interested in discussing lemma #1, and #2. Assume these to be axiomatic. How can #3 still increase delta-reproduction-fitness?

Comment author: Khoth 21 July 2014 01:13:50PM 0 points [-]

Warning: worthless evidence-free armchair evopsych speculation coming up:

The benefits of technology and techniques don't spread right across the whole population immediately - the primary benefit goes to the inventor and those near to them.

So, in the ancestral environment, if inventing a new kind of pointy rock to better kill dinosaurs gives you +1 fitness points, and lying around watching stone-age TV until your neighbour makes a pointy rock then stealing it gives you +2, then genes for inventing will spread until everyone has a 1/2 chance of having an inventor for a neighbour, at which point equilibrium is reached and both gene types will do equally well.