In this episode, I speak with Dr. Nikunj Goel about about spatial sorting, which refers to the build up of dispersal morphs on expanding edges of populations. Dr. Goel is a postdoctoral researcher at UT Austin working with Tim Keitt. We begin with a discussion of Dr. Goel’s background in physics and math, how he got interested in biology, and his work in ecology. We then get into Dr. Goel’s views on biological theory, and his approach to using the Price equation to model spatial sorting. I ask Dr. Goel to share his perspective on the conceptual background of spatial sorting, including whether he views it as a type of natural selection, and his approach to modelling it. I then tell Dr. Goel that I think spatial sorting is significant because it is often involved with population expansion and invasion of new habitats. I also tell Dr. Goel about my own views on "general theory" in biology and the use of the Price equation in the field of social evolution. We also cover relevant history of evolutionary theory. See naturalreward.com for a list of references.

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Komi German about a reviewer’s reaction to her book proposal. All academics deal with rejection. How a researcher deals with rejection determines whether she gets her work published, and how it will appear. We brainstorm strategies to deal with the reviewer’s response and the question of what approach to take in a revision. We discuss whether Komi should try to appeal to her opponents, or whether she should try to appeal to third parties. We also cover some of the issues surrounding Freedom of Expression, including those raised by foundational documents of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the Chicago Statement of Principles, the Chicago Report, and Yale’s Woodward report. 

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Komi German about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies in academia and related issues. Komi is a Research Fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Freedom (FIRE). Komi recently completed her Ph. D. in psychology at UC Riverside with a dissertation entitled, "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policies in Academia: The Faculty's Response." Komi's dissertation reviews the history of DEI in academia and reports the results of her surveys of UC Riverside professors about their views on DEI initiatives. In this podcast, we will cover issues like exclusion, censorship, authoritarianism, freedom of speech, implicit bias, cynicism, dogmatism, diversity statements, privilege, nobility, and the relevance of Friedrich Nietzsche and Charles Darwin to the Ivory Tower.