Neural substrates of Indian classical percussive Improvisation: A case study investigation of tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain.

Evolving genealogies in cultural evolution, the descendant process, and the number of cultural traits.

In today’s competitive business environment, the importance of cultivating a strong and positive organizational culture cannot be overstated. A resilient culture does not emerge by accident; it requires intentional focus, strategic leadership, and consistent effort. Organizational culture naturally evolves over time, whether through strategic realignment, or workforce growth and demographic shifts. Regardless of the cause, these changes can yield either positive or negative outcomes depending on how they are managed. One effective approach to managing cultural evolution is through the application of organizational development (OD) tools. By aligning people, processes, and strategy, OD interventions can strengthen communication, optimize job design, and enhance employee retention three critical elements in building a thriving corporate culture. This article explores how OD tools can be leveraged to create a positive workplace environment characterized by trust, engagement, and collaboration. In doing so, it emphasizes that effective communication, thoughtful job structuring, and retention-focused strategies form the foundation of a sustainable and high-performing organizational culture. Effective communication fosters transparency and trust, ensuring alignment between leadership intent and employee understanding. Optimized job design promotes purpose, clarity, and motivation by aligning individual roles with organizational goals. Finally, robust retention strategies help sustain a culture of commitment and belonging, reducing turnover and supporting organizational continuity. Together, these elements form an integrated approach to cultivating a positive corporate culture that enhances organizational performance, employee satisfaction, and long-term sustainability.

Humans occupy a geographic and ecological range wider than that of any other extant vertebrates, having rapidly expanded into nearly every habitat on the planet. This expansion was driven not only by biological adaptations but, crucially, by cultural evolution-a process that enabled the rapid and cumulative acquisition of adaptive behaviors and technologies. Here, I quantify the unique contribution of cultural evolution by comparing the global human range to mammalian ranges aggregated at various taxonomic ranks. I show that achieving the human range would require about 88 My of lineage divergence, over 2,200 species, and a nearly four-order-of-magnitude range in body mass. Yet, cultural evolution also allows humans to adapt at finer spatial scales, as evidenced by ethnolinguistic groups occupying smaller, more ecologically specialized territories than species. These findings highlight the unique role of cultural evolution in accelerating human ecological adaptation.

ABSTRACT Cultural evolution has been a central topic in research addressing interactions between Mesolithic groups and Neolithic populations in Europe, commonly explored through of material culture such as ceramic decoration, personal ornaments, and geometric microliths. This study focuses on the experimental characterization of the factors that promoted cultural evolutionary processes in geometric microliths, specifically assessing the effects produced by different transmission mechanisms under distinct learning models. To this end, morphometric variation generated during the replication of these projectile forms was quantified using two experimental designs: linear transmission chains and constant groups. Our results complement previous studies that have examined cultural evolutionary dynamics through computational simulations and provide an empirical framework for testing models of cultural change in prehistoric contexts. By grounding these processes in experimentally derived morphometric variability, this study offers a basis for evaluating how different learning strategies shape the transmission, maintenance, and transformation of lithic technologies over time.

ABSTRACT The Oratio de Nationalismo Prorectoralis Oratio habita ad Academiam Fridericianam in die VII mensis Novembris MDCCXVII , by Johann Peter von Ludewig, represents one of the earliest—if not the earliest—documented uses of the term nationalism (in its Latin form Nationalismus ), and notably, it appears in a critical context. In a university environment shaken by nationalist tensions, von Ludewig uses the term nationalism as a pejorative label to describe a disintegrative, antimeritocratic ideology and a source of civil disorder, fundamentally opposed to the universalism of science. This edition presents the key extracts of the original Latin text alongside an English translation, complemented by a historical‐critical introduction and a methodological apparatus. The work seeks to contribute to the understanding of the conceptual origins of nationalism and to foster reflection on its cultural and ideological evolution.

The evolution of a conspiracy-minded culture: A historian’s view

Cultural evolution in humans is based on the transmission of knowledge and know-how through the process of social learning. Humans have evolved two distinct mechanisms of social learning, although they tend to be discussed in completely separate literatures. They are gestural (or motor) learning and vocal learning. Within the arts, gestural learning is important for the evolution of dance and mime, while vocal learning is important for the evolution of oral literature and vocal music. These two learning systems get jointly recruited to mediate the process of impersonation during theatrical role playing; an actor has to depict both the gestural and vocal features of a portrayed character. An evolutionary synthesis of gestural and vocal learning undergirds the human capacity for culture, including the arts. I discuss potential brain mechanisms for this synthesis in which the neural pathways for the gestural and the vocal may converge.

Work-life balance has emerged as a central theme in modern medicine, particularly in radiology, where high burnout rates underscore the urgency for systemic change. This narrative review explores how perceptions of work-life balance vary across generations-Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z-and how these differences shape workplace expectations and cultural evolution within healthcare. Baby Boomers often view medicine as a vocation requiring sacrifice and long hours, while Gen X emphasises flexibility and independence. Millennials prioritise purpose, inclusivity, and work-life integration, favouring fluid schedules and value-driven environments. Gen Z, as digital natives, seeks ethical workplaces, diversity, and clearly defined personal-professional boundaries. That paper started from a dedicated session at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) 2025, combining literature references with reflections on evolving professional values. It highlights that while generational perspectives differ, common ground exists: across all groups, well-being, fulfilment, and supportive workplace structures are increasingly seen as essential rather than optional. The paper emphasises the importance of adapting institutional policies to accommodate generational needs through flexible scheduling, mentorship, protected time, and inclusive leadership. Ultimately, we aim for the embracing of intergenerational collaboration and recognition of the diverse definitions of professional success, which are key to building resilient radiology teams. Sustainable solutions must move beyond one-size-fits-all models to foster innovation, prevent burnout, and retain talent across all career stages. It is also calling for healthcare institutions to proactively integrate these perspectives to shape a more supportive and effective professional culture. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: This paper offers a narrative overview of generational perspectives on work-life balance in radiology, highlighting both shared values and evolving priorities across age groups KEY POINTS: Burnout remains a widespread issue in radiology, with high prevalence across all career stages, emphasising the need for systemic solutions rather than individual resilience alone. Generational views on work-life balance vary: Boomers value duty, Millennials seek purpose and flexibility, while Gen Z demands ethics, diversity, and personal sustainability. Intergenerational collaboration and adaptability are essential for building resilient teams, requiring healthcare institutions to embrace diverse expectations and implement inclusive, flexible work models.

Do you believe the world will come to an end within your lifetime, and does that belief change the way you see existential threats to humanity? One third of Americans answer yes to the first question; we venture to answer the second question here. Stories about the end of the world are historically and globally prevalent and come in many flavors. End of world beliefs have been hypothesized to shape processes of risk perception and social behavior that have implications for how societies respond to existential threats. Despite their cultural significance, current understanding of the psychology of these beliefs is lacking. In this article, we present the results of six pilot studies (N = 2,079) and one preregistered study (N = 1,409) that establish a psychological framework for end of world beliefs. A measure of end of world beliefs was created and validated across six religious populations (Catholics, Mainline Protestants, Evangelical Protestants, Jews, Muslims, and nonreligious). We find that end of world beliefs are common, vary along psychologically meaningful dimensions, and are uniquely predictive of people's risk perception, risk tolerance, and willingness to support extreme action to address the five most pressing global existential risks (i.e., economic, environmental, geopolitical, societal, and technological). Results are interpreted in light of current models of risk perception and the cultural evolution of worldviews. Aligning with sociological and historical accounts, we argue that belief in apocalyptic narratives-irrespective of their accuracy-is consequential for how populations confront concrete risks, including those that threaten humanity today. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Cultural evolution is not as hasty as it sometimes seems to us; in any case, modern cultural orders are quite thoroughly explained by the conceptualizations of the last century in the most expressive versions of both the sociology of conflicts and the sociology of compromises, which are in no way opposed to each other in the logic of analysis of reality but are autonomous and do not exclude complementarity. One type of order is focused on the morphology of the conflict of cultural epochs and states in the terms of Georg Simmel, on the interaction of the flow of life and forms of culture, initially fixing their correspondence but subsequently losing it, up to the complete rejection by life of the forms that weigh it down, the rejection of the form of culture in general. We are talking about the opposition of the individual and society, about the insoluble conflict between individual life, which sacrifices its manifestations in favor of socially approved patterns, and cultural form, which gives rise to the “tragedy of culture.” The second perspective, on the contrary, avoids dramatic states, and places the focus on consumption, which Michel de Certeau presents as a multidimensional space of possibilities for anonymous creativity thanks to the special tactics of the ordinary person to bypass the established order, inventing an everyday life that is acceptable to him. Of course, any “branding of creativity” takes it out of the space of secrecy and into the public eye, but it is unlikely to completely neutralize its inspiration from “micro-freedom” (in Certeau’s terms). There is also a third, broader perspective on cultural orders, which has been rooted in the sociological tradition since Sombart and Weber and refers to the “spirit of capitalism”, its value and ethical justifications, and today to the “spirit of digital capitalism” in the space of action of “ethics of decision”, “solutionism” (Oliver Nachtwey, Timo Seidl), the essence of which is the belief that any social problem can be solved by “the correct use of the correct technologies.” The models of modern cultural orders presented in the article help to more accurately understand their interaction with social and economic orders, including in the circumstances of war, when Ukrainian society is in an emergent state as a result of Russian aggression.

This study examines epidemics and pandemics in modern history, focusing on the interactions between public health, scientific and technological progress, and cultural factors. Through a historical review of crises such as the Spanish Influenza (1918–1919), poliomyelitis epidemics, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and more recent infectious diseases (SARS, H1N1, Ebola), it highlights how each health crisis acts as a catalyst for the advancement of medical science and technology. The COVID-19 pandemic confirmed the importance of the “learning curve” concept for health systems, emphasizing that experience, training, research, and quality assurance are foundational for the resilience of healthcare structures. At the same time, the pandemic highlighted the cultural dimensions of infectious diseases, influencing social behavior, values, perceptions of individual and collective responsibility, and the development of new forms of cultural entrepreneurship. The study concludes that pandemics are not merely biological phenomena but multifaceted challenges linking scientific and technological progress with social and cultural evolution. COVID-19 serves as a contemporary example underscoring the need to strengthen public health systems, develop innovative technologies, and create institutions that combine human-centered care with scientific excellence.

Abstract This study investigates long-term socio-economic transformations in prehistoric Kuyavia, Poland, through stable isotope analysis of human, animal and plant remains, combined with radiocarbon dating. A total of 84 human individuals, spanning from the Middle Neolithic to the Middle Bronze Age (around 4100–1230 cal BC), were analysed to reconstruct ancient diet and subsistence strategies, and their implications to reveal possible social stratification. Isotopic values from cattle provide insights into changing herding strategies and adaptations to diverse environments, while analyses of charred cereals contextualize plant-based dietary contributions and crop management practices, including varying levels of manuring. The results indicate marked dietary and economic variability: Middle and Late Neolithic farming groups relied primarily on cereals and cattle, while early Corded Ware communities appear to have occupied marginal ecological niches with distinctive herding strategies. From the Middle Bronze Age, isotopic evidence demonstrates the first substantial incorporation of millet into the human diet, representing the earliest widespread use of a C4 crop in the region. Variability in nitrogen isotope values suggests differential access to animal protein and possible social inequalities, particularly during the Early Bronze Age. Together, these findings highlight both continuity and transformation in prehistoric economies over more than two millennia, offering a refined archaeological perspective on cultural evolution in East-Central Europe and demonstrating the potential of stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating to reveal aspects of past lifeways not visible in material culture alone.

The aim of the study is to identify the mechanisms of interaction between the aesthetics of the culture of ethnic minorities in China and mass aesthetic consciousness in the context of the digital transformation of cultural space. This article examines the dynamics of cultural transmission on the digital platforms Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Bilibili, where traditional cultural forms are undergoing radical adaptation through aestheticization, fragmentation, hybridization, and gamification. The role of various actors in the process of cultural production is analyzed, including bearers of ethnic traditions, cultural intermediaries, prosumers, and the platforms’ algorithmic systems as active agents of cultural evolution. The scientific novelty is determined by the conceptual rethinking of the basic categories of cultural analysis in the context of digital reality, where authenticity is transformed from the concept of an unchanging essence into the ability of a cultural core to persist in changing forms, the cultural boundary is transformed from a dividing line into a zone of intense exchange, and subjectivity is distributed between human and non-human agents. The study revealed that the mechanism of interaction functions as a multi-level system of mutual transformation, where China’s digital infrastructure has created unprecedented conditions for the dissemination of ethnic aesthetics, reaching over a billion users, and the commercialization of ethnic identity has transformed from a threat to cultural integrity into a condition for the economic survival of ethnic communities and a mechanism for the transmission of traditional practices to future generations.

While power has long been a philosophical topic and is one of the central concepts in the social sciences, it is virtually absent from cultural evolutionary theory, which has been presented as suitable and promising for explaining human culture and sociality, their change and complexity. There are, however, two concepts that cultural evolutionary theory employs and that are arguably related to that of power: dominance and prestige. I argue that these concepts are not fit for the task and advocate a pluralistic approach to the study of our social reality, including the power relations essential to it.

Symbolic behavior is a unique and defining capability of our species. The emergence and subsequent evolution of this behavior-particularly with regard to visual culture-has been a topic that has historically attracted a breadth of different disciplinary perspectives, from archaeology and anthropology to linguistics, cognitive science, and psychology. Each discipline provides unique insights into the early evidence, mechanisms, processes, social role, and evolutionary trajectory of symbolic behavior. Yet, there are rare occurrences where these disciplines directly interact. The question of how our species began engaging in symbolic behavior, and the role it played within our evolutionary story, is one that cannot be answered by any one discipline alone. This thematic topic brings together new methodological and theoretical research on the evolution of human visual culture and symbolic behavior. The contributions within this topic span from archaeological investigations of early symbolic behavior, empirical interdisciplinary approaches that integrate multiple strands of evidence, to cutting-edge insights about the cognitive processes and mechanisms that may have given rise to meaning-making in relation to visual media. In drawing together these diverse, yet complementary, approaches to understanding marks and meaning, this topic intends to broaden the interdisciplinary horizons of research into the evolution of symbolic behavior.

The paper examines the features and causes of the emergence of traditional Chinese life rituals and customs (using the example of rituals related to birth, marriage and funeral) as the foundation of the national culture of China. The purpose of the study is to analyze the dynamics of ritual transformation and identify their key characteristics in historical development in order to better understand the evolution and current state of Chinese culture. The author draws conclusions that rituals and customs have pronounced social attributes: they form a system of social life based on mutual assistance and humanistic care, and have a symbolic meaning: through objects and actions, expectations and good wishes are expressed. There is a shift from hierarchy to equality: traditional differences in class and status are giving way to the principles of equality. There is a shift away from feudal superstitions: under the influence of science and modernization, superstitious practices are gradually disappearing. There is a tendency towards simplification: complex traditional rituals adapt to the rhythm of modern society. Inclusivity and diversity are evident: The integration of ethnic minorities and Western cultural elements enriches traditional forms. Rituals are increasingly regulated by laws, but the humanistic orientation remains: rituals embody respect and love of life, continuity of moral values. Despite the evolution of rituals, remnants of outdated customs remain; the influence of alien cultural elements; the growing number of divorces, the cult of material well-being in marital relations, and waste. The author formulates recommendations for the preservation and development of traditions: the integration of customs with legislation and the formation of restrictive mechanisms; the promotion of moderation and simplicity in consumption; countering vulgar culture and waste; strengthening moral values and scientific worldview; returning to the original meaning of rituals — love, respect and blessing. Thus, China’s traditional life rituals and customs represent a dynamic system that, while preserving its cultural identity, adapts to modern realities. Their reconstruction should be based on the principles of freedom, equality and humanism, combining the heritage of the past with the values of modern civilization.

Pluralistic ignorance-the systematic misperception of others' attitudes-can entrench suboptimal norms, yet its dynamics remain poorly understood. We develop a mathematical model of the coevolution of actions, private attitudes, and beliefs about others, with societal tightness as a central parameter. Our framework integrates theories of spirals of silence, preference falsification, and cultural mismatch into a single dynamic system capturing the effects of material payoffs, cognitive forces, and social influence. The model shows that pluralistic ignorance can arise from lags between attitude change and belief updating, even without silence or deception. Dynamics unfold faster in loose cultures and slower in tight ones: loose societies display sharp but transient peaks of pluralistic ignorance, while tight societies sustain slower, persistent mismatches. Both can experience cultural evolutionary mismatch but through distinct pathways-internalized norm adherence in loose cultures vs. conformity pressure in tight ones. These mechanisms may help explain global patterns where private support exceeds perceived support, such as climate action, women's rights, and abortion attitudes. Interventions must therefore be culturally tailored: accelerating attitude change through highlighting benefits is effective in loose cultures, whereas lowering expression costs (via anonymity or legal protections) empowers norm entrepreneurs in tight cultures. Our framework identifies policy levers and clarifies when apparent opinion stability conceals underlying shifts, offering insights for democratic societies navigating rapid social change.

Interdependent subsistence styles, such as rice farming, are thought to underlie the evolution of collectivistic cultures, which emphasize collective welfare over individual gains. Rice farming can produce mutual dependence within communities but also create conflicting interests, as people cooperate to provide valuable public goods. However, current theories of the origins of collectivism fail to address the interplay between mutual dependence and conflict. As a consequence of these limitations, the evolutionary dynamics of collectivism and its association with cooperation are still unclear. We advance a theoretical model to study the evolution of cultural traits that enhance people's valuations of collective welfare, one of the key features of collectivistic cultures. Our model investigates the evolutionary dynamics of cooperation and cultural evolution in ecologies with distinct interdependence structures. We find evidence that higher degrees of mutual dependence facilitate the evolution and persistence of collectivism. However, the degree of conflicting interests also plays a crucial role in driving the diffusion and maintenance of collectivistic norms. In particular, the selective advantage of collectivism is strongest when people experience some degree of conflict of interests, an effect that is magnified by heightened mutual dependence. These results clarify how variation in interdependence could underlie the ecological origins of collectivism, lending support to and expanding the scope of current theories of the cultural evolution of cooperation. More broadly, the framework presented here elucidates how fitness interdependence can be influenced by different ecological factors, and, in turn, influence the evolution of social behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Should we succumb to technopanic or embrace techno-optimism in this so-called post-truth era? In his latest book, Technopanic (currently available only in Italian), Alberto Acerbi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Research at the University of Trento, suggests a cautious middle path. Drawing on his background at the interface of cultural evolution, psychology, anthropology, and sociology, Acerbi provides a timely and, one might argue, much-needed, empirically grounded reflection on the contemporary anxieties surrounding digital technologies. Although some examples refer to the Italian sociopolitical context, the book’s arguments are highly transferable to broader international debates.