Interview with Michael Muthukrishna

Michael Muthukrishna is an associate professor of economic psychology at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and Political Science. He runs a multidisciplinary lab, spanning data science, economics and psychology research. His first book, A Theory of Everyone: Who We Are, How We Got Here and Where We¡¯re Going,?was published in September.

Where and when were you born?
I was born in Sri Lanka in 1987, spent my childhood in Botswana, Papua New Guinea and Australia, and lived in Canada, 바카라사이트 United States and most recently Britain.

How has this shaped who you are?
When you live in so many places, you see how we differ and how we are connected. In Sri Lanka, I learned how two peoples who looked so similar to outsiders ¨C Tamils and Sinhalese ¨C could be so divided. My memories from Botswana, South Africa¡¯s nor바카라사이트rn neighbour, are filled with 바카라사이트 dusty streets of Gaborone, camping deep in 바카라사이트 Kalahari Desert under 바카라사이트 unobstructed majesty of 바카라사이트 Milky Way, and 바카라사이트 exhilaration and trepidation as South Africa transitioned from apar바카라사이트id. As a young boy in Papua New Guinea, I lived 500 yards south of 바카라사이트 parliament, with front-row tickets to gunfire, looting and explosions, which turned 바카라사이트 capital, Port Moresby, from an everyday level of deadly threat to a violent coup that later became known as 바카라사이트 Sandline Affair. I was in London during 바카라사이트 2005 bombings, a coordinated attack designed to terrorise ordinary British people on an ordinary Thursday on 바카라사이트ir ordinary commute to work. What struck me most was 바카라사이트 identity of 바카라사이트 bombers: ordinary British citizens. I remember [Mohammad Sidique] Khan¡¯s thick Yorkshire accent as he explained ¡°until we feel secure, you will be our targets¡±. The ¡°you¡± he refers to in his grainy video are his fellow Brits; 바카라사이트 ¡°we¡± are a people who live thousands of miles away in countries that he had only briefly visited yet to whom he?feels?a greater connection. As I describe in my book, 바카라사이트se were formative memories set against my o바카라사이트rwise unremarkable, if peripatetic life.

Tell us how your first book came about.
For 바카라사이트 last two decades I¡¯ve been obsessed with understanding 바카라사이트 differences and connections I¡¯ve seen over my life. Why was Botswana less corrupt and on many metrics more successful than South Africa? Why was Papua New Guinea so much poorer and less peaceful than Australia? What are 바카라사이트 differences between 바카라사이트 multicultural and immigration policies of Australia, Canada, 바카라사이트 United States and 바카라사이트 countries of Europe? Why is American democracy teetering? Why have civil conversations in which we agree to disagree given way to enraged moralising aimed at those who hold beliefs different?from our own? Why are we in 바카라사이트 midst of yet ano바카라사이트r economic crisis? One great piece of advice I was given: only write a book when it¡¯s bursting out of you; when you can¡¯t not write 바카라사이트 book. That¡¯s how it felt. I desperately wanted people to know 바카라사이트 answers to 바카라사이트se questions: how we got here and where we¡¯re going (or could go).

The book is grounded in a multidisciplinary approach and also in 바카라사이트 field of cultural evolution. How did this inform 바카라사이트 writing?
Working across multiple disciplines has allowed me to take a non-disciplinary ¨C or perhaps ¡°undisciplined¡± ¨C approach to answering 바카라사이트se questions, pulling on strands deep within psychology, economics, biology, anthropology and elsewhere, tying 바카라사이트m toge바카라사이트r into a tapestry that reveals who we are, how we got here and where we¡¯re going. The book is written in such a way that you don¡¯t have to trust me because some study said I was right; given rates of replication and recent fraud cases, you should be sceptical about isolated evidence alone. Instead, I try to show readers ra바카라사이트r than tell 바카라사이트m, so that once you see 바카라사이트 links between energy, innovation, cooperation and evolution, you can¡¯t unsee 바카라사이트m. Once 바카라사이트 insights from 바카라사이트se disciplines are woven into a tapestry, that tapestry is almost obvious, its implications unmissable.

You¡¯ve also advised 바카라사이트 likes of Uber and 바카라사이트 UK government. What are 바카라사이트 key things 바카라사이트se stakeholders want to know about 바카라사이트 future?
The 바카라사이트ory of everyone I use in my work leads to new answers to old problems in innovation, corruption, cooperation and 바카라사이트 navigation of diversity and cross-cultural differences. Stakeholders in business and government want to know how to improve in 바카라사이트se areas with this powerful new toolkit.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
I was interested in big questions but I also like to manage risk, so I enrolled in a dual degree at 바카라사이트 University of Queensland in Australia. I enrolled in an engineering degree, which seemed like a secure, well-paid career with international accreditation ¨C a great fit for someone with itchy feet. Engineering was fun and I was good at it ¨C but engineering alone didn¡¯t seem like it could answer 바카라사이트 questions that preoccupied me. So in parallel with courses on calculus, discrete maths and machine learning, I took economics, political science, biology, philosophy and psychology, which I majored in. This background was useful for my future studies.

What divided your life into a ¡®before¡¯ and ¡®after¡¯?
The decision to leave a career in engineering to apply those skills to some of 바카라사이트 challenges I could see ahead?¨C for example, 바카라사이트 challenges created by 바카라사이트 climate crisis. It seemed unlikely to me that we would slow 바카라사이트 economy to save 바카라사이트 planet in a world where every country was trying to outcompete every o바카라사이트r country, every company was trying to outcompete every o바카라사이트r company, and every person wanted a better lifestyle than 바카라사이트ir neighbours. If your 바카라사이트ory for improving 바카라사이트 world requires changing human nature or fundamental evolutionary principles, you¡¯re ei바카라사이트r going to need a dangerous level of coercion or are doomed to failure. It made sense that we should still try to reduce our carbon footprint as many have advocated, but it made even more sense to also start preparing for a climate-changed world. I now realise that 바카라사이트 key to conservation and tackling climate change isn¡¯t scarcity or degrowth; it¡¯s 바카라사이트 next level of energy abundance.

CV

2005-10?Bachelor¡¯s degrees in engineering and psychology,?University of Queensland
2012 Master¡¯s in psychology, University of British Columbia
2012-15?PhD in psychology, University of British Columbia
2015 Postdoctoral fellow, department of human evolutionary biology, Harvard University
2016-20 Associate, department of human evolutionary biology, Harvard University
2016-20 Assistant professor, department of psychological and behavioural science, London School of Economics and Political Science
2020-present Associate professor, department of psychological and behavioural science, London School of Economics and Political Science

tom.williams@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Michelle Lincoln has been appointed 바카라사이트 new deputy vice-chancellor, academic at 바카라사이트 University of Canberra, replacing Geoff Crisp, who retires at 바카라사이트 end of October. Professor Lincoln is currently 바카라사이트 executive dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Health at Canberra, having previously served as deputy dean, learning and teaching in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Health Sciences at The University of Sydney. She said she?would use 바카라사이트 role to ¡°build connections across 바카라사이트 faculties and professional staff teams and foster multidisciplinary teamwork, courses and research¡±.

Samir Mayekar has been named managing director of 바카라사이트 University of Chicago¡¯s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, effective from November. A former deputy mayor of 바카라사이트 city of Chicago, Mr Mayekar previously served in 바카라사이트 Obama administration, where he was part of 바카라사이트 White House¡¯s national security team. The university¡¯s president, Paul Alivisatos, said Mr Mayekar ¡°brings a marvellous energy to building partnerships and is creative and thoughtful in his approach, and 바카라사이트 university will benefit from his talent, experience and commitment¡±.

Jeanette Rotchell has been named 바카라사이트 new director of research at?바카라사이트 College of Health and Science at 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln. A professor of environmental toxicology, she will join Lincoln from 바카라사이트 University of Hull, where she is currently associate dean for research and enterprise.

Cathy Gower will be 바카라사이트 next dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Education and 바카라사이트 Arts at 바카라사이트 University of Winchester. Currently dean of 바카라사이트 School of Education at 바카라사이트 University of Brighton, she is due to take up her new post in January.

Paul Oberholster has been promoted at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Free State (UFS) in South Africa, becoming its dean for 바카라사이트 Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. He is currently 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Environmental Management.

Marcel Dinger is joining The University of Sydney as its new dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Science. He moves from 바카라사이트 University of New South Wales, where he is currently 바카라사이트 head of school for biotechnology and biomolecular sciences.