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Michael Muthukrishna

@michael.muthukrishna.com

1.1K followers 520 following 17 posts

Prof. #LSE. Author: A Theory of Everyone. Researching & spreading the word on how humans evolved & what that means for us today. www.atheoryofeveryone.com

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Michael Muthukrishna is a professor of economic psychology at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), in England. He is an affiliate of the Developmental Economics Group at the LSE's STICERD, technical director of UBC's Database of Religious History, and CIFAR's Azrieli Global Scholar in the Boundaries, Membership and Belonging programme. His main area of interest is the application of research in cultural evolution to public policy. .. more

Psychology 37%

Sociology 21%

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Reposted by Yadvinder Malhi, Garry Peterson, Timon McPhearson , and 2 more Yadvinder Malhi, Garry Peterson, Timon McPhearson, Stephen D. Murphy, Michael Muthukrishna

Erle Ellis @erleellis.bsky.social · 11d

Redefine how the world measures progress!
🌍🧑‍🌾🌽🌎🌴🐬🌏🚵‍♀️🍄🌐👍

Join the Global Expert Consultation to develop
The Nature Relationship Index (NRI) @undp.org

<15 mins to make a difference
anu.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
> Deadline: Oct 15, 2025
> Background: rdcu.be/etpiQ

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Reposted by Michael Muthukrishna

Behavioral Scientist @behscientist.bsky.social · Aug 30

In this weekend’s read from the archive, Evan Nesterak and @michael.muthukrishna.com plumb a sweeping “theory of everyone,” a possible key to advancing social and behavioral science.

Moving Behavioral Science from Alchemy to Chemistry: A Conversation with Michael Muthukrishna (Part 1) - By Evan Nesterak - Behavioral Scientist

Michael Muthukrishna wants to integrate the science of human beings, from genes to culture to our environments, into ‘a theory of everyone.’ Doing so, he says, is key to advancing social and…

behavioralscientist.org

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Reposted by Yadvinder Malhi, Erle C. Ellis, Michael Muthukrishna

Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery @naturerecovery.bsky.social · Aug 20

Human aspirations for better lives can be mobilized to ensure that the natural world thrives along with people. Says Pedro Conceição @undp.org Read his op-ed in the Financial Times, which builds on the paper published in Nature in June ⬇️Proud to be working alongside the @undp.org & others on this

Don’t ask what nature can do for you . . .

Measuring and ranking countries’ efforts to protect animal and plant life will incentivise us to achieve a better future

www.ft.com

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Reposted by Michael Muthukrishna

LSE Department of Psychological & Behavioural Science @lsepbs.bsky.social · Jul 4

👩‍💻 AI has the power to revolutionise education, but tech alone is not enough

@michael.muthukrishna.com and several brilliant PBS students explore how AI can transform learning - but only if embedded in human-centred, culturally adaptive systems.

#OpenAccess #Research #AI #Education #Teaching

AI Can Revolutionise Education but Technology Is Not Enough: Human Development Meets Cultural Evolution

Artificial Intelligence could dramatically boost educational outcomes and close gaps – but only if policymakers take a human-centred, systems-level approach to AI integration. Cultural evolution, t...

www.tandfonline.com

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Michael Muthukrishna @michael.muthukrishna.com · Jul 1

Any recommendations for a good evolution oriented intro psych textbook? Gray & Bjorkland's Psychology isn’t being renewed.

Reposted by Michael Muthukrishna

LSE Department of Psychological & Behavioural Science @lsepbs.bsky.social · Jun 27

🌎 An aspirational new approach to planetary futures

This new paper, co-authored by @michael.muthukrishna.com
& published in 'Nature', proposes an innovative new framework - the Nature Relationship Index (NRI) - for addressing planetary environmental challenges.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

An aspirational approach to planetary futures - Nature

The Nature Relationship Index offers a new way to measure and engage human aspirations to shape a better future for people and all life on Earth.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Yadvinder Malhi, Laura Pereira, Michael Muthukrishna

Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery @naturerecovery.bsky.social · Jun 26

📢 Just out in @nature.com: Oxford Uni, UNDP‬ & others propose a 'Nature Relationship Index', a bold new metric to track how well people & nature thrive together. A hopeful framework to reimagine progress beyond GDP.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09080-1 #NatureRecovery @ox.ac.uk @undp.org

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Reposted by Michael Muthukrishna

Louise Jones @louisejoneslse.bsky.social · May 23

Today's LSE Festival highlight is our closing event:
Can we be optimistic about the future?
@rogerhighfield.bsky.social, Suhair Khan, @isabel-losada.bsky.social & @michael.muthukrishna.com share some of the ideas, innovations & discoveries to give us hope 💡
FREE tickets (in person/online) 👇

Positive futures

6.30pm Sat 21 Jun | Roger Highfield, Suhair Khan, Isabel Losada, Michael Muthukrishna | Free event at LSE Festival: Visions for the Future | Ticket required

www.lse.ac.uk

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Reposted by Michael Muthukrishna

LSE Department of Psychological & Behavioural Science @lsepbs.bsky.social · May 20

LSE Festival is taking place 16-21 June, with global leaders, experts & innovators exploring the near & distant future & what a better world could look like.

@michael.muthukrishna.com will join a discussion on 'Positive futures' on 21 June: www.lse.ac.uk/Events/LSE-F...

Full schedule & tickets 👇

Ticket information

Information about booking your free tickets for the LSE Festival 2025: Visions for the future

www.lse.ac.uk

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Michael Muthukrishna @michael.muthukrishna.com · May 8

I’ve found my people.

Reposted by Michael Muthukrishna

Louise Jones @louisejoneslse.bsky.social · May 1

It's May! Which means #LSEFestival is coming up next month. Browse the programme & save the date for events you don't want to miss.

What are the possible worlds to come? 🌎
How will AI, tech & innovation shape society? 💻
How will we confront global challenges? 🌊
Will our political reality change? 🗳️

LSE Festival: Visions for the Future

LSE Festival: Visions for the Future. Join us for a series of free events in London taking place from Monday 16 to Saturday 21 June 2025.

www.lse.ac.uk

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Michael Muthukrishna @michael.muthukrishna.com · Apr 24

Fixed in the paperback!

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Reposted by Alex Mesoudi, Michael Muthukrishna

Iyad Rahwan | إياد رهوان @iyadrahwan.bsky.social · Apr 9

New paper

Mutual benefits of social learning and algorithmic mediation for cumulative culture

In this pure modeling paper, we attempt to explore how recommendation algorithms might alter the dynamics of social learning and cumulative cultural evolution.

royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

Mutual benefits of social learning and algorithmic mediation for cumulative culture | Journal of The Royal Society Interface

The remarkable ecological success of humans is often attributed to our ability to develop complex cultural artefacts that enable us to cope with environmental challenges. The evolution of complex culture (cumulative cultural evolution) is usually ...

royalsocietypublishing.org

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Reposted by Michael Muthukrishna

Abdel Abdellaoui @dr-appie.bsky.social · Apr 2

The @financialtimes.com on our recent @naturehumbehav.bsky.social study on SES and genetics 🧬🌃

ft.pressreader.com/v99c/2025040... (by @anjahuja.bsky.social)

(thread on the study itself is quoted below)

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Reposted by Michael Muthukrishna

Abdel Abdellaoui @dr-appie.bsky.social · Mar 28

"I wanted to have that be clear — that he’s not on my team and I’m not on his" - me on Emil Kirkegaard in this great piece from @undark.org: undark.org/2025/03/26/u...

In Genetics, a Tense Coexistence of Mainstream and Fringe Views

In an era of open data, genome-wide association studies have become entangled with efforts to prove Black inferiority.

undark.org

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Michael Muthukrishna @michael.muthukrishna.com · Mar 26

Delighted to be part of this paper on the relationship between social economic status and genetics.

Led by @dr-appie.bsky.social and co-authored with @hilarycmartin.bsky.social
@martinkolk.bsky.social
@adamrutherford.bsky.social
@fctropf.bsky.social
@melindacmills.bsky.social

Abdel Abdellaoui @dr-appie.bsky.social · Mar 26

In every civilization, people end up sorted into levels of socio-economic status (SES). We explore the history, present, and future of scientific research on the complicated relationship between SES and DNA in @naturehumbehav.bsky.social💰🧬🎓

Link: rdcu.be/efacK

Thread below 👇🏽

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Reposted by Anna Vignoles, Melinda Mills, Martin Kolk , and 1 more Anna Vignoles, Melinda Mills, Martin Kolk, Michael Muthukrishna

Abdel Abdellaoui @dr-appie.bsky.social · Mar 26

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LSE Department of Psychological & Behavioural Science @lsepbs.bsky.social · Mar 11

📣 We are delighted to share that @michael.muthukrishna.com has been promoted to Professor of Economic Psychology! 👏

Congratulations Michael! We are exceptionally proud to have you in our department! 💥

#Professor #EconomicPsychology #PartofLSE #LSEPBS #Promotion

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Reposted by Nathan Nunn, Alex Mesoudi, Michael Muthukrishna

Tim Waring @twaring.bsky.social · Mar 10

Fully-funded PhD position on the cultural evolution of environmental management!

Link evolution, ecology and behavioral science in the ACE Lab timwaring.info Details: forms.gle/gZWK9BpwYfoG...
@culturalevolsoc.bsky.social @alexmesoudi.com @hyperadapthyrax.bsky.social @michael.muthukrishna.com

ACE Lab: Applied Cultural Evolution Laboratory

culture, evolution, cooperation, and sustainability

timwaring.info

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Michael Muthukrishna @michael.muthukrishna.com · Mar 7

Looking forward to continuing the discussion! 4/4

Michael Muthukrishna @michael.muthukrishna.com · Mar 7

With this government’s support and the UK’s strengths on AI talent, research, and commercial activity, we can lead the world in our children using AI for learning rather than plagiarism or in ways that harm their social and cognitive, and intellectual development.3/

Michael Muthukrishna @michael.muthukrishna.com · Mar 7

The UK ranks among the Top 5 globally in AI talent, research, and commercial AI activity. But we lag behind on infrastructure, development, and government strategy.2/

Michael Muthukrishna @michael.muthukrishna.com · Mar 7

At least 9 out of 10 children are already using AI with little to no guidance or support. It’s great to see this government recognize the need to support teachers, parents, and students in using these new technologies safely, ethically, and effectively to enhance learning and address inequalities.1/

Stephen Morgan MP @stephenmorganmp.bsky.social · Mar 6

This Government is ensuring AI is good enough and safe enough for education.

I was pleased to host a roundtable with school leaders and academics in partnership with AI in Education.

I’m committed to ensuring AI supports the delivery of our opportunity mission.

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Reposted by Michael Muthukrishna

Stephen Morgan MP @stephenmorganmp.bsky.social · Mar 6

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Michael Muthukrishna @michael.muthukrishna.com · Mar 3

New post on the Return of Realpolitik (thoughts on Friday's Zelensky-Trump-Vance Whitehouse meeting)

www.lab.muthukrishna.com/p/the-return...

The Return of Realpolitik

Ukraine, America, and What The Zelensky-Trump-Vance Blow-up Means for the World

www.lab.muthukrishna.com

Substack

The Return of Realpolitik

Ukraine, America, and What The Zelensky-Trump-Vance Blow-up Means for the World In 1954, psychologists Albert Hastorf and Hadley Cantril conducted a now-classic study on motivated perception. They asked Dartmouth and Princeton students to watch the same Princeton v. Dartmouth football game and report on what they saw. Princeton students believed Dartmouth played dirty; Dartmouth students thought both sides were equally at fault. People don’t just perceive reality; they perceive reality through the lens of their assumptions, affiliations, and underlying beliefs.

Reposts 0 Mar 2

Reposted by Michael Muthukrishna

Luis Zaman @luiszaman.bsky.social · Feb 14

Our Evolution of Evolvability work is finally* out!

*technically it has been out for a bit, but all of ~this~ bullshit was happening

www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1...

Evolution takes multiple paths to evolvability when facing environmental change | PNAS

Life at all scales is surprisingly effective at exploiting new opportunities, as demonstrated by the rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistance an...

www.pnas.org

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Reposted by Michael Muthukrishna

Alex Mesoudi @alexmesoudi.com · Feb 14

Reminder of this #culturalevolution starter pack

go.bsky.app/6mZJyQq

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Reposted by Michael Muthukrishna

Mark Rubin @markrubin.bsky.social · Feb 13

Does cultural experience shape visual perception?

New research finds "profound differences in visual phenomenology, with rural Namibian participants often failing to see percepts obvious to UK/US participants and vice versa."

Preprint: doi.org/10.31234/osf...

Abstract: Vision science largely ignores the fact that rural visual environments typical of our species’ history differ radically from urban zones from which almost all samples are drawn: Only a handful of paradigms have been used to investigate rural-urban differences in visual perception, and some show limited effects or suffer from limited methodologies. Here we more than double the total number of paradigms in this literature, including visual illusions assumed to rely on universal mechanisms (e.g. Gestalt shapes, Cafe wall, curvature blindness). Results reveal profound differences in visual phenomenology, with rural Namibian participants often failing to see percepts obvious to UK/US participants and vice versa. In sum, what is universal and what is culturally-constructed in human visual perception remains a wide-open area of research.

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Substack

Autism and the Clash of Cognitive Cultures

How a particular cognitive style reshaped organizations and is now reshaping the US government In the summer of 2022, Elon Musk acquired Twitter (now X). Mainstream media outlets buzzed with narratives about his erratic leadership style—from loosening content moderation to firing 6000 people—80% of the organization. What they failed to grasp was what his actions represented: the rise of a management model rooted in autistic cognitive style. A cognitive style that clashes with the cultures created by the 98% of neurotypical people, but one being re-embraced by other technology companies and now spreading beyond Silicon Valley into the US government and the many organizations it supports.

Reposts 0 Feb 8