Dr. Bill von Hippel

So for example, vampire bats, they go out and they try to get blood from large animals, like land on their back, bite them a little bit and leave, drink a little bit of their blood. If they don't get any food at all at night, they're at risk of starvation within just a few nights. And so if I've come back and I got nothing and you were successful, I'll beg to you.

So for example, vampire bats, they go out and they try to get blood from large animals, like land on their back, bite them a little bit and leave, drink a little bit of their blood. If they don't get any food at all at night, they're at risk of starvation within just a few nights. And so if I've come back and I got nothing and you were successful, I'll beg to you.

And if we're friends, you'll regurgitate a little bit of the blood for me. Now, if you weren't successful, even if we're best mates, there's nothing you can do for me. Now, if you think about the way humans give things to each other, it's sometimes goods. But we're this different animal. We're this cognitive animal. We're an animal where information has enormous value.

And if we're friends, you'll regurgitate a little bit of the blood for me. Now, if you weren't successful, even if we're best mates, there's nothing you can do for me. Now, if you think about the way humans give things to each other, it's sometimes goods. But we're this different animal. We're this cognitive animal. We're an animal where information has enormous value.

And information, I can give it to you without losing any of it myself. And so we create these relationships with each other where we don't even need to worry about reciprocation. We can do things for each other all the time. They're crazy easy to do because they don't require me to give you anything. I still have the information I told you.

And information, I can give it to you without losing any of it myself. And so we create these relationships with each other where we don't even need to worry about reciprocation. We can do things for each other all the time. They're crazy easy to do because they don't require me to give you anything. I still have the information I told you.

So we already have this advantage over the animal kingdom. But we're still animals. And one of the ways that we're still animals is that we're still zero-sum in the sense of, well, what about our status? Who's going to get picked for the mating relationships? Who's going to get picked to be on the teams?

So we already have this advantage over the animal kingdom. But we're still animals. And one of the ways that we're still animals is that we're still zero-sum in the sense of, well, what about our status? Who's going to get picked for the mating relationships? Who's going to get picked to be on the teams?

And there it always comes down to, well, who's at the top of the local heap and who's at the bottom of the local heap? And so in our ancestral communities, that would be a very small group of hunter-gatherers. All I had to do was be valuable or better than you guys in something. In our world today, it's awfully hard to be better than everybody.

And there it always comes down to, well, who's at the top of the local heap and who's at the bottom of the local heap? And so in our ancestral communities, that would be a very small group of hunter-gatherers. All I had to do was be valuable or better than you guys in something. In our world today, it's awfully hard to be better than everybody.

And money is one of the easiest, most straightforward ways to do it because everyone can see it. And so even though money doesn't make us happy, as the whole country is three times richer, we're no happier. If I'm richer than you, I am happier than you because that's one way that I can be higher in status. And so then maybe I can steal your girlfriend.

And money is one of the easiest, most straightforward ways to do it because everyone can see it. And so even though money doesn't make us happy, as the whole country is three times richer, we're no happier. If I'm richer than you, I am happier than you because that's one way that I can be higher in status. And so then maybe I can steal your girlfriend.

Or maybe the guys who are in your group who I really want to be in my group are going to say, hey, Bill's cooler than Steven. I'm going with him. And so status matters. It's a process of sexual selection whereby both sexes are always trying to get the best partner they can of the opposite sex. And so they're competing with each other. Men compete with men to try to have women choose them.

Or maybe the guys who are in your group who I really want to be in my group are going to say, hey, Bill's cooler than Steven. I'm going with him. And so status matters. It's a process of sexual selection whereby both sexes are always trying to get the best partner they can of the opposite sex. And so they're competing with each other. Men compete with men to try to have women choose them.

Women compete with women to try to have men choose them. And that's a zero-sum status game.

Women compete with women to try to have men choose them. And that's a zero-sum status game.

Yeah, so what you want are what we call honest signals of quality. And the thing is that... We've all evolved to look through fake signals. And so lots of animals will pretend to be things that they aren't. They puff up their chest or raise up their shackles or do something to look big and intimidating. We all, we have human ways of doing that too.

Yeah, so what you want are what we call honest signals of quality. And the thing is that... We've all evolved to look through fake signals. And so lots of animals will pretend to be things that they aren't. They puff up their chest or raise up their shackles or do something to look big and intimidating. We all, we have human ways of doing that too.

But in humans, bizarrely, well, in all animals, actually, one of the clearest honest signals for men to demonstrate for women is what is risk-taking. Now, that seems bizarre. Why would taking a risk attract females? Well, it attracts females because there's two outcomes when you take a risk.

But in humans, bizarrely, well, in all animals, actually, one of the clearest honest signals for men to demonstrate for women is what is risk-taking. Now, that seems bizarre. Why would taking a risk attract females? Well, it attracts females because there's two outcomes when you take a risk.