Evolutionary Psychology (the podcast) - Dave Pietraszewski & David Pinsof

Latest Episodes:

Selection with Paul Smaldino Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

Intentions be damned! Whats matter is selection! In this episode, Paul Smaldino (UC Merced) takes us on a tour of his work on social signals, social identities, the perverse incentives of science, the stupidity and yet usefulness of models, and so much else. (Paul also shows us his small model of the solar system in the background).

More about Paul Smaldino:

https://smaldino.com/wp/

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=AwHfbP0AAAAJ&hl=en

https://smalldinosaurs.bandcamp.com/album/dad-songs

Consciousness with Michael Graziano Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

Consciousness: is it really that hard of a problem? In this episode, we talk to our favorite mechanistically-minded (and possibly clearest) thinker about consciousness we've had the pleasure to stumble across, Michael Graziano (Princeton). Topics include why consciousness has been so hard to study, what it is, and what future (evolutionary) work on consciousness would look like.

More about Michael Graziano:
https://grazianolab.princeton.edu/

https://pni.princeton.edu/people/michael-graziano

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Graziano

https://www.press53.com/michael-s-a-graziano

https://www.amazon.com/stores/B.-B.-Wurge/author/B001JS4X0U?

Peace with Luke Glowacki Jan 13, 2026

Show notes

The evolution of war has occupied science. But what about the evolution of peace? In this episode, we talk to Luke Glowacki about his framing of peace as requiring just as much, if not more, explanation, than the evolution of war, and how it comes about via cultural technology interacting with our evolved psychology. Other topics include the distribution of conflict, the Omo valley research project, and how to think about our own species through the lens of other species--including mongeese (mongooses?)

More about Luke Glowacki:

https://www.hsb-lab.org/

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DaCQ-UIAAAAJ&hl=en

https://www.bu.edu/anthrop/profile/luke-glowacki/

Free Will with David Pietraszewski Jan 06, 2026

Show notes

Free will: Do we really have it? And what is it, exactly? In this episode, co-host David Pietraszewski takes the role of guest and explains his recent evolutionary, adaptationist approach to the problem of free will, explaining what people are talking about when they talk about free will, why different people have different opinions about whether it really exists in light of science, and what an evolutionary approach has to say about how to study it in the first place. If you love or hate the study of free will--or think it is a forever-unsolvable mystery-- then this episode is for you!

More about David Pietraszewski:

https://cal.psych.ucsb.edu/david-pietraszewski

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=rGFYm8AAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

Moralizing Self-Control with Léo Fitouchi Dec 30, 2025

Show notes

Why do we care about delaying gratification? Why do we judge others for moral failings that have no apparent consequences on us? In this episode, we talk to Lêo Fitouchi (IAST Toulouse) about all things moral, including guzzling french fries.

More about Léo Fitouchi:
https://sites.google.com/view/leofitouchi/home

Evolutionary Social Sciences with Dan Nettle Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

Poverty? Universal basic income? Do we really crave sugar because of evolutionary mismatch? How do you train for an 800meter and a 100K running race? We cover this and much more with Dan Nettle (Jean Nicod).

More about Dan Nettle:

https://www.danielnettle.eu/

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=rl3kkv4AAAAJ&hl=en

Culture, Killing, and PTSD with Sarah Mathew Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

How do evolutionary behavioral scientists think about the interplay between our psychology and culture? What causes some cultural norms to persist and spread? Do non-Western combatants in war have something like PTSD? In this episode, we explore all of these questions and more with Sarah Mathew (ASU), who talks about her work with the Turkana, and her long-term interest in the interplay between our evolved psychology of cooperation and violence, and the social norms and institutions that push and pull on our evolved psychology.

More about Sarah Mathew:

https://search.asu.edu/profile/2208359

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=FqTZawEAAAAJ&hl=en

Reasoning and Epistemic Vigilance with Hugo Mercier Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

Is the evolved mind prone to believing misinformation? Are people gullible? What is reasoning, anyway? And what is it for? In this episode, we talk all things reasoning with Hugo Mercier (Institute Jean Nicod). If you have an opinion about whether people are reasonable (or not) this episode is for you.

More about Hugo Mercier:

https://sites.google.com/site/hugomercier/

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=b3o24EEAAAAJ&hl=en

Love and Regret with Cari Goetz Dec 02, 2025

Show notes

What is love? What is regret? What are we missing in our understanding of mating? In this episode we talk to Cari Goetz (Cal State San Bernardino) about the (still largely unexplored) emotions surrounding romance, sex, commitment, and parenting. Topics include: the field's current overemphasis on the early stages of mating, the cultural propaganda surrounding love and related emotions, deliberate ignorance about infidelity, the rehearsal of the social consequences of dating earlier in development, mate ejection strategies, and what love might be at a functional/software level.

More about Cari Goetz:
https://www.csusb.edu/profile/cgoetz

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=BIKau3cAAAAJ&hl=en

Exploitation with Hannes Rusch Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

What is exploitation? Why does it happen? And how can we better understand what makes it more or less likely? In this episode, we talk to Hannes Rusch (Max Planck Crime, Security, & Law) about all things exploitation and group-y. Other topics include jobs, mopping, scapegoating, bravery, and how much people care about their group identities.

More about Hannes Rusch:

https://hrusch.de/

https://csl.mpg.de/en/hannes-rusch

Shownotes:

Metallica "Man Unkind":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUVr2xnGIEo

Exploitation: Theory and Practice

https://pure.mpg.de/rest/items/item_3655768_1/component/file_3655769/content