The complexity of human societies of the past few thousand years rivals that of social insect societies. We hypothesize that two sets of social "instincts" underpin and constrain the evolution of complex societies. One set is ancient and shared with other social primate species, and one is derived and unique to our lineage. The latter evolved by the late Pleistocene, and led to the evolution of...

The NFL and NCAA Football are multi-billion dollar industry. Despite this, the process of preparing to face an opponent is a relative anachronism. Coaches watch and take notes of their opponents' game footage the week before game day. When it comes time to call plays, they rely on their memory and instincts in order to call the proper play. A defense would be at a distinct advantage if their co...

This approach sees human nature as being deterministic. In other words, the behavior of people is determined by irrational forces, unconscious motivations, biological and instinctual drives, and certain psychosexual events during the first six years of life determine who and what they are. In psychoanalytic therapy the life instincts of the client (known as Eros) play a central role in analysis...