Joseph Henrich — Humans defeated smarter species with cultural evolution

This podcast features an interview with Joseph Henrich, a professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University, discussing his research on cultural evolution and the factors contributing to the rise of WEIRD societies. The conversation begins with a question about a specific genetic finding regarding a population explosion 70,000 years ago, leading to a broader discussion of technological and institutional factors driving population expansions throughout history. Henrich emphasizes the role of "collective brains" and the interplay between cultural transmission, environmental pressures, and social organization in shaping human societies. He also touches upon the implications of AI's potential to drastically accelerate cultural evolution and the challenges of maintaining cultural diversity in a rapidly changing world. The interview concludes with a discussion of the limitations of current models for understanding societal progress and the need for a more nuanced approach that considers the complex interplay of genetic and cultural factors.