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dr.Pep
dr.Pep
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Copyright © 2025 Pepijn van der Laan.
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The relationship between biological make-up and human behavior is governed by complex interaction effects

The relationship between biological make-up and human behavior is governed by complex interaction effects

Robert Sapolsky – Behave

The author set out on a daunting program with impressive results in a fascinating domain.

The impact of scaling on the functioning of biological and technical systems is profound

The impact of scaling on the functioning of biological and technical systems is profound

Vaclav Smil – Size

The book continues to drift between wonder about the world and weakly motivated bias towards human scale, which is a pity because it cites some elegant analyses.

Folk tales about vampires and werewolves are based in an exaggerated fear for rabies

Folk tales about vampires and werewolves are based in an exaggerated fear for rabies

Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy

The detailed synopsis of (what seems like) every book, play, or movie that ever mentioned rabies gets boring pretty fast.

If you allow yourself to think on a different timescale, trees are surprisingly dynamic

If you allow yourself to think on a different timescale, trees are surprisingly dynamic

Colin Tudge – The secret life of trees

There is a limit to the degree of suspense that you can bring into taxonomy.

Humans and the crops they grow are codependent

Humans and the crops they grow are codependent

Michael Pollan – The botany of desire

To disprove ‘Intelligent Design’, just note that one can very well exhibit intelligent behavior without actual intelligence

To disprove ‘Intelligent Design’, just note that one can very well exhibit intelligent behavior without actual intelligence

Daniel Dennett – From bacteria to Bach and back

Caleidoscopic overview of Dennett’s ideas, but it would benefit from an more thorough justification of its antropocentric perspective (compare: Frans de Waal).

Arguing by analogy, one has to conclude that animals have emotions

Arguing by analogy, one has to conclude that animals have emotions

Frans de Waal – Mama’s last hug

Especially interesting are the behavioral experiments, reminiscent of the line of argument in Moral Tribes

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Copyright © 2025 Pepijn van der Laan.
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