Researchers worry that generative AI is homogenizing culture and cognition.

What Darwin saw in the Galápagos

Some say there’s a global crisis of trust — but research reveals where the real problems lie.

Why do human societies develop within such a limited range of cultural possibilities?

The world is undergoing simultaneous economic, technological, geopolitical, environmental, and social changes that organizations cannot address alone. Only a collective approach to social innovation can solve for challenges that are too large for individual organizations.

Tech culture has made contempt for humanity feel enlightened. We can do better.

The emerging discipline of evolutionary philosophy can also provide helpful cognitive tools for the paradigm of evolving cooperative systems.

Archaeology shows cooperation, not just coercion, shaped early large-scale societies.

1. Don’t assume the other person is being rational.

In this episode, Dr Searle talks to Dr Robert Styles about compassion, its importance in the workplace, and how we can cultivate more compassion at work.

It’s easy to feel stuck in the same patterns—repeating old reactions, circling in the same thoughts, and wondering why real change is so hard. In this talk, we explore how Darwin’s insights into evolution—variation, selection, and retention—can be applied to your own healing, growing, and awakening. Drawing on both modern science and the deep contemplative traditions of Buddhism, this conversation with David Sloan Wilson offers a practical, grounded path for personal transformation—and for building a more compassionate, workable world together. Key Topics + Timecodes 00:00 – Introduction to David Sloan Wilson & the big idea Applying principles of evolution to personal growth, healing, and a more compassionate world. 03:16 – The three pillars of inner practice Virtue, mental training, and wisdom—and how they support lasting change. 10:36 – Using the brain to quiet the mind How widening awareness (body, space, whole) reduces mental chatter and self-focus. 14:03 – Evolution’s core formula: variation, selection, retention A simple framework that explains both biological and personal transformation. 17:42 – Breaking out of rigid patterns Why openness, playfulness, and “beginner’s mind” are essential for growth. 25:58 – A healthier relationship to failure “Failing fast” as a natural and necessary part of learning and adaptation. 30:35 – How change actually sticks Practice, repetition, and the role of supportive groups in shaping behavior. 35:26 – From inner change to a pro-social world Why learning and joining meaningful groups are key to reducing isolation and increasing wellbeing. You can see the meditation that went along with this talk: https://rickhanson.com/talk-meditation-keys-to-personal-and-global-evolution/ If you would like to join the free, online Wednesday Meditations, sign up here: https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/ If you would like to donate to the weekly Wednesday Talk + Meditations, you can do that here: https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/dana-offerings/ #PersonalGrowth #Mindfulness #Neuroplasticity #SelfDevelopment #Compassion #OvercomingAnxiety #Psychology #InnerWork #MentalHealth #RickHanson

A conversation about the 2026 Compassion Games. On June 21, 2026 (the summer solstice), groups from the Salish Sea area of the US Pacific Northwest and around the world will engage in a friendly competition to perform compassionate actions for their bioregions. Jon Ramer originated the Compassion Games as part of the formation of the Charter for Compassion in 2009 and is excited to work with ProSocial World to make the 2027 games a process of conscious multilevel cultural evolution. #Compassion #awareness #2026 #future

Our tools will keep improving. Our task is to grow with them. If AI weakens who we are, it is time to reverse course.

Darwin’s insights into biological evolution extend into societal and even personal evolution - and David Sloan Wilson has been a brilliant pioneer in the far-reaching implications. Join him and Rick Hanson to explore how these insights can expand your own healing, growing, and awakening - informed by the deep analysis of the mind in the Buddhist contemplative tradition - as well as show us a realistic path forward in our troubled world.

What did Darwin really mean — and how did neo-Darwinism narrow his legacy?

AI is transforming the way we work — could it also reshape what makes us human? In this quick and insightful talk, evolutionary anthropologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy explores how the human brain was shaped by millions of years of shared childcare and mutually supportive communities, asking a provocative question: If robots help raise the next generation, will we lose the empathy that defines us?