Dr. Bill von Hippel

I'm like, how? That's an evolved behavior that he doesn't understand the purpose of, but he knows he wants to do. And so let me give you an example from another animal system where we've studied it really closely. So meerkats, do you know meerkats? Those cute little things like Timon, I think. Yeah, from the movies. Yeah. Mere cats eat scorpions. And so they need to teach their babies.

I'm like, how? That's an evolved behavior that he doesn't understand the purpose of, but he knows he wants to do. And so let me give you an example from another animal system where we've studied it really closely. So meerkats, do you know meerkats? Those cute little things like Timon, I think. Yeah, from the movies. Yeah. Mere cats eat scorpions. And so they need to teach their babies.

They're very good hunters. They need to teach their babies to kill something that could kill them. And so when they have tiny babies, they kill the scorpion and give it to it dead. And then the baby eats the scorpion once it's weaned from milk because, of course, they're mammals.

They're very good hunters. They need to teach their babies to kill something that could kill them. And so when they have tiny babies, they kill the scorpion and give it to it dead. And then the baby eats the scorpion once it's weaned from milk because, of course, they're mammals.

When the babies get a little bit bigger, they break the stinger off and throw the scorpion to it alive so the baby can practice killing the scorpion. And then when the baby's bigger still, it's almost ready to go out on its own, they throw it a live scorpion. I'm You kill it and eat it because it's got to learn how to do that. Like, it seems rough, but it's got to learn that.

When the babies get a little bit bigger, they break the stinger off and throw the scorpion to it alive so the baby can practice killing the scorpion. And then when the baby's bigger still, it's almost ready to go out on its own, they throw it a live scorpion. I'm You kill it and eat it because it's got to learn how to do that. Like, it seems rough, but it's got to learn that.

If you play the sounds of a little baby to the mother or whoever's bringing the food because it's not always mothers, it'll kill the scorpion and throw it in there, even if who it's throwing into are juveniles who could kill it themselves. And worse yet, if you have babies and you play juvenile sounds, it'll throw the live scorpion to the baby who's going to kill the baby.

If you play the sounds of a little baby to the mother or whoever's bringing the food because it's not always mothers, it'll kill the scorpion and throw it in there, even if who it's throwing into are juveniles who could kill it themselves. And worse yet, if you have babies and you play juvenile sounds, it'll throw the live scorpion to the baby who's going to kill the baby.

Because all it knows is when I hear that sound, I do X to the scorpion. Your dog is doing the same thing. When given bone, chew on it for a little while, then bury it for later. Because I don't know if I'll have them later. Now, it doesn't do that. I don't know if I'll have it later, but it's evolved to solve that problem.

Because all it knows is when I hear that sound, I do X to the scorpion. Your dog is doing the same thing. When given bone, chew on it for a little while, then bury it for later. Because I don't know if I'll have them later. Now, it doesn't do that. I don't know if I'll have it later, but it's evolved to solve that problem.

We've talked a fair bit about how money doesn't make you as happy as you think it would, but it does help. It does help make you happy. And we've talked about how important, you know, money is a proxy for status, how important that was in our ancestral society. But you have to remember that our ancestral societies were very small.

We've talked a fair bit about how money doesn't make you as happy as you think it would, but it does help. It does help make you happy. And we've talked about how important, you know, money is a proxy for status, how important that was in our ancestral society. But you have to remember that our ancestral societies were very small.

And so it was feasible that I could be the best at something in our group. I could be the richest. I could be the best arrow maker, the best storyteller, you name it. There's something I've got a shot at. Nobody can be the best at anything anymore. You can't even be the richest. Elon Musk made some amount this year that's like so astronomical, it's hard to even imagine.

And so it was feasible that I could be the best at something in our group. I could be the richest. I could be the best arrow maker, the best storyteller, you name it. There's something I've got a shot at. Nobody can be the best at anything anymore. You can't even be the richest. Elon Musk made some amount this year that's like so astronomical, it's hard to even imagine.

And so there's always going to be people who have more than you do. And so the problem with money is that it's partially a status game. It's partially about buying a nicer car and a nicer house. And those things actually tend not to make us happy. But interestingly, spending our money on doing things

And so there's always going to be people who have more than you do. And so the problem with money is that it's partially a status game. It's partially about buying a nicer car and a nicer house. And those things actually tend not to make us happy. But interestingly, spending our money on doing things

tends to make us much happier, which is surprising because it feels like spending money on activities is kind of wasteful. I always felt like when I was young and broke that if I had money, it was hedonistic and wasteful to spend it skiing, whereas it was sensible to spend it on a new couch because I need a couch.

tends to make us much happier, which is surprising because it feels like spending money on activities is kind of wasteful. I always felt like when I was young and broke that if I had money, it was hedonistic and wasteful to spend it skiing, whereas it was sensible to spend it on a new couch because I need a couch.

And then I'll have that couch for a very long time, whereas the ski day is over in a day. But it turns out that if you have disposable income, it makes you a lot happier when you spend it on things to do rather than things to have. And we don't know exactly why that is yet. But I suspect that the reason is, is that things to have are a status game. And that status game is impossible to win, right?

And then I'll have that couch for a very long time, whereas the ski day is over in a day. But it turns out that if you have disposable income, it makes you a lot happier when you spend it on things to do rather than things to have. And we don't know exactly why that is yet. But I suspect that the reason is, is that things to have are a status game. And that status game is impossible to win, right?