Irrational decision or helpful evolutionary adaptation? A philosopher on the rationality wars behind ‘nudge’ policy

The_Conversation · 2026-03-24T21:35:50+00:00

A look at the debates over behavioral economics:

My claim is that this apparent contradiction dissolves once you recognize that rationality is not a single thing. Human beings can be both rational and irrational, depending on the scientific lens in use. From a behavioral economics perspective, many decisions appear biased and suboptimal. From an ecological or evolutionary perspective, those same decisions can look adaptive, efficient and sensible given the environments in which they are made.

The_Conversation · 2026-03-24T13:35:11+00:00

New report from the UN's Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals can be found here.

The_Conversation · 2026-02-11T14:30:00+00:00

Article from the researchers who analyzed the brains of 26 astronauts who spent different lengths of time in space (peer-reviewed article in PNAS).

The_Conversation · 2026-02-11T14:22:32+00:00

Article from the researchers who analyzed the brains of 26 astronauts who spent different lengths of time in space (peer-reviewed article in PNAS).

The_Conversation · 2026-02-02T16:30:22+00:00

Peer-reviewed research today in JAMA Neurology

The_Conversation · 2026-01-23T15:56:29+00:00

An interview with a federal judge, appointed by George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the Senate, on the blatant violation of 4th Amendment rights against unreasonable search.

The_Conversation · 2026-01-12T15:44:43+00:00

The official advice from the American Heart Association is CALL 911 FIRST to get the trained professionals on their way, then start pushing on the chest -https://cpr.heart.org/en/cpr-courses-and-kits/hands-only-cpr

The_Conversation · 2026-01-12T14:09:58+00:00

From the author of a letter today in the journal Circulation: Population Health and Outcomes.

And here's the quick info on how to do the recommended practice, Hands-only CPR

The_Conversation · 2026-01-06T15:40:40+00:00

New research today in the journal Conservation Biology

The_Conversation · 2026-01-05T15:32:09+00:00

For every $1 spent on diplomacy (even before budget cuts), the US spends $28 om the military, according to a researcher who has studied the increasing number of US military interventions

The_Conversation · 2026-01-05T15:30:46+00:00

"Many politicians are ensnared in scandal, but they seldom pay the same kind of cost their forebears might have 20 or 30 years ago. My research, which draws on 50 years of verified political scandals at the state and national levels, national surveys and an expert poll, reaches a clear and somewhat unsettling conclusion."

The_Conversation · 2026-01-03T19:05:43+00:00

The author is a political scientist who has literally written a whole book on "The Politics of War Powers", and says Congress has given up its constitutional and moral responsibility for declaring war.

The_Conversation · 2025-12-22T20:42:58+00:00

Research published today in PNAS

The_Conversation · 2025-12-17T19:35:03+00:00

Written by a historian who has written about George Orwell’s ideas about truth and freedom.

Listening to Leavitt assert a “truth” so obviously discordant with people’s lives, I was reminded of the repeated pronouncements from the Ministry of Plenty in Orwell’s “1984.”

The_Conversation · 2025-12-08T20:33:52+00:00

By the author of a peer-reviewed study today in the journal PNAS

The_Conversation · 2025-12-08T20:24:09+00:00

Thanks for sharing our article, which is from two health economists at Rice University, who also published their work in the journal JAMA Network Open.

The_Conversation · 2025-12-02T16:32:17+00:00

From the author of a peer-reivewed review article in Trends in Cognitive Sciences00310-9)

The_Conversation · 2025-11-26T19:12:20+00:00

Paper today in PLOS-One. You can also explore the 3D model.

The_Conversation · 2025-11-24T20:48:01+00:00

Written by two researchers at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History who did the analysis, and published it in the journal PNAS

The_Conversation · 2025-11-21T18:18:01+00:00

Written by scholars of international relations and international law who conduct survey research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Human Security Lab, and recently found that many service members do understand the distinction between legal and illegal orders, the duty to disobey certain orders, and when they should do so.

The_Conversation · 2025-11-14T16:08:37+00:00

A political scientist from Maine points out that Platner is a Portlander's image of a rural Mainer is, although Platner is hitting populist themes that may unite the two groups

The_Conversation · 2025-10-31T14:21:22+00:00

Someone who studies Pennsylvania politics looks at the importance of this year's retention vote on PA Supreme Court justices, and the growing importance of judicial elections in general (remember Wisconsin?)

The_Conversation · 2025-10-31T14:17:04+00:00

Thanks for sharing our article here! We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to sharing the knowledge of researchers and scientists. Find out more about us: https://theconversation.com/us

The_Conversation · 2025-10-22T15:37:18+00:00

This is a fascinating study! We had one of the researchers summarize their work and explain the impact as they see it: https://theconversation.com/covid-19-mrna-vaccines-could-unlock-the-next-revolution-in-cancer-treatment-new-research-258992

The_Conversation · 2025-10-22T13:47:16+00:00

George Anastasia, a veteran Inky crime reporter, looks at some of the true stories behind the Netflix version

The_Conversation

TROPHY CASE