Christopher X J. Jensen
Associate Professor, Pratt Institute

A nice synopsis of some reasons for laughter

Posted 03 Aug 2014 / 0

The Chronicle of Higher Education “What’s So Funny?” I appreciate the different theories of laughter presented here and the way that they are connected to adaptive behavior and ultimately to evolution. Like a lot of other behaviors that I am interested in — most prominently music production and play — laughter is one of those Read More

A Minor Post, Articles, Behavior, Communication, Emotion, Human Uniqueness, Play, Web

Apparently I should stop holding my breath for the Google Translate “dolphin” module

Posted 20 May 2014 / 0

The Chronicle of Higher Education “Dolphin Talk and Human Credulity” Great short here (and further evidence that TED Talks entice scientists to lose their heads and say unfounded things). Anyone who has carefully watched a child learn to talk comes to realize what a complex dance between cognition anatomical coordination is involved in language acquisition. It is Read More

A Minor Post, Adaptation, Articles, Behavior, Behavioral Ecology, Cognitive Ability, Communication, Human Uniqueness, Language Evolution, Linguistics, Phenotypic Plasticity, Web

Peacocks communicate via the (ultra)sounds they make with their feathers

Posted 20 Jun 2012 / 0

Science News “Peacocks ruffle feathers, make a rumble“

A Minor Post, Adaptation, Communication, MSCI-363, Biological Origins of Sound & Music, Web

Surprisingly, rugby can be used to understand honest signaling

Posted 19 Jun 2012 / 0

PLoS One “Detecting Deception in Movement: The Case of the Side-Step in Rugby“

A Minor Post, Articles, Communication

John Horgan reviews Robert Trivers’ “The Folly of Fools”

Posted 09 May 2012 / 0

The New York Times “Why We Lie“

A Minor Post, Articles, Behavior, Communication, Human Evolution