causal
Evolution Requires a Specific Problem, Not General Smartness
Evolution does not select for organisms simply 'to be smarter' or 'have bigger brains'; selection requires a specific concrete problem, and since big brains are metabolically expensive there must be a specific benefit driving their evolution.
causalpending
Speaker
Michael TomaselloEvidence Quote
“Tooby and Cosmides argue really forcefully and really convincingly that evolution doesn't work like that, you have to have a specific problem.”
Source
225 | Michael Tomasello on The Social Origins of Cognition and Agency— Sean Carroll's MindscapeCreated: 6/13/2026, 12:05:28 AM
My Notes
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