Straw Bear

Science, mind, society, theatre

Photo by Emma Wood, www.emmawoodphotos.co.uk

The Straw Bear is currently in hibernation. We hope to return with a new project in 2018.

Past productions

bo1 — Wesley Milligan and Mark Edwards in Blue/Orange

Blue/Orange

Hitting the Wall

Latest Posts

Hanging on to the Edges book published

25 Oct 2018

I am delighted to be able to say that my new book Hanging on to the Edges is now published. Thanks to Open Book Publishers, it’s an open access book; you can read it online, download the PDF, or order paper copies here. People often ask me what Hanging on to the Edges is about, and it is not entirely easy to say. It is based on fourteen blog essays I published on this site over the past two years, though they are revised and re-ordered in the book version. It is an attempt to reflect on the major things I care about most in life: science and being a scientist; human nature and human cognition; the relationship between the social and the biological; inter-disciplinarity; politics; and human well-being. To give you some idea of the scope, here’s a word cloud of the terms in the index: And here’s the table of contents: Contents Introduction PART ONE 1. How my theory explains everything: And can make you happier, healthier, and wealthier 2. What we talk about when we talk about biology 3. The cultural and the agentic 4. What is cultural evolution like? 5. Is it explanation yet? PART TWO 6. The mill … Continue reading “Hanging on to the Edges book published”

HOTTE #14: Morale is high (since I gave up hope)

15 May 2018

Buddhism and the replication crisis: morale is high (PDF) Click here to return to the Hanging On To The Edges hompage.

HOTTE #13: Is it explanation yet?

17 Apr 2018

A meditation on Newtonian mechanics, ‘life-history theory’, and optimal bus networks. Is it explanation yet? (PDF) Back to Hanging On To The Edges homepage

HOTTE #12: The worst thing about poverty is not having enough money

21 Mar 2018

Casinos, helicopter money, and the illusion of validity. The worst thing about poverty is not having enough money (PDF) Return to Hanging On To The Edges

HOTTE #11: Getting your head around the Universal Basic Income

13 Feb 2018

Big ideas, money for nothing, and the psychology of sharing out Getting your head around the Universal Basic Income (PDF) Back to the Hanging On To The Edges page

HOTTE #10: Waking up and going out to work in the uncanny valley

16 Jan 2018

‘The only thing worse than not getting cited is getting cited’, and other inter-disciplinary conceits: Uncanny valley.pdf Back to the Hanging On To The Edges page

HOTTE #9: The need for discipline

4 Dec 2017

A meditation on disciplinary boundaries, small worlds, and choral singing The need for discipline (PDF) Back to the Hanging On To The Edges page

HOTTE #8: What is cultural evolution like?

30 Oct 2017

A meditation on cultural Darwinism, evolutionary theory, and cross-country running. What is cultural evolution like (PDF). Return to the Hanging on to the Edges homepage.

HOTTE #7: Staying in the game

25 Sep 2017

A meditation on the highs and lows, the longs and shorts, of academic life. Staying in the game (PDF). Return to the Hanging on to the Edges home page.

HOTTE #6: The cultural and the agentic

5 Sep 2017

Reflections on culture, agency, and Herb Gintis’ Indiviuality and Entanglement. The cultural and the agentic (PDF) Return to the Hanging On To The Edges home page.