Multilevel cultural evolution: From new theory to practical applications

David S. Wilson, Guru Madhavan, Michele J. Gelfand, Steven C. Hayes, Paul Atkins, Rita Colwell

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

    Abstract

    Evolutionary science has led to many practical applications of genetic evolution but few practical uses of cultural evolution. This is because the entire study of evolution was gene centric for most of the 20th century, relegating the study and application of human cultural change to other disciplines. The formal study of human cultural evolution began in the 1970s and has matured to the point of deriving practical applications. We provide an overview of these developments and examples for the topic areas of complex systems science and engineering, economics and business, mental health and well-being, and global change efforts.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalPNAS - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
    Volume120
    Issue number16
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2023

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