Cognitive Policy Works

A few months ago, I wrote an article calling for an end to the world’s debt — summarizing the history of debt from anthropological studies of early civilizations and economic activities in hunter-gatherer societies.  You can read it here. We are living through an unprecedented period of human history.  Our population has exploded.  We are [...]

This week the Supreme Court is considering a case about the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and legal protections granted to same-sex couples in states where gay marriage is now legally recognized.  This is a watershed moment in US cultural history and internet activists are doing their part to make a collective [...]

We are excited to announce that our first round of research is complete. The climate meme has now been analyzed and is ready for public viewing. Thanks to everyone who made this possible! This is the first ever glimpse of the cultural memes that tell us how to think, feel, and act on the threat [...]

If I had to pick one word to describe the political culture of the United States, I would call it unwell.  Throughout the last several decades — the entirety of adult political life for most active citizens — we have been plagued with lies and deceit, anger and betrayal, a toxic polarization that has rotted [...]

Many people reach out to me because they want to learn about the science of complexity.  They ask what it is, how it works, and — most importantly — how they can apply it to global challenges confronting humanity. In those conversations I share what I have learned as a complexity researcher who specializes in [...]

At the heart of the climate crisis is a profound clash of worldviews. People live in different ideological camps — beholden to their own beliefs, values, judgements, and ideas about the relationship between humans and the natural environment. The failure of climate activists to engage the broad public effectively is largely attributable to this great [...]

Ideas have been shaped by the same evolutionary forces throughout human history that produce the great diversity of life on Earth. The skill sets and fashion sensibilities of each culture arose in a particular geographic setting — attuned to local climates, landscapes, flora, and fauna. The cave dwellings of Paleolithic European people, for example, differ [...]

Just for fun, imagine if all debt were wiped away when the Mayan Calendar ends this Friday… How would the world be different?  What would become possible for you personally in your life?  How would nations and corporations invest our newfound wealth differently if we all started from a clean slate?  Problems like global warming [...]

Yesterday I was asked to share my reflections on the tragic shootings that took place in Connecticut…  please share if this resonates with you.

This article was co-authored by Joe Brewer and Lazlo Karafiath Pick any of the great challenges confronting humanity today and ask yourself “Is the quality of public discourse good enough to address it?” You’ll find that for every single issue — be it global warming, resource depletion, chronic poverty, or what have you – the [...]