Human Behaviour and Environmental Models: Lecture 7

Water, energy, organic molecules, and a stable environment.

It categorizes living organisms based on their complexity and organization.

The Gaia Hypothesis posits that Earth functions as a single, self-regulating system that maintains conditions necessary for life.

<p>An Autopoietic model views living organisms as self-organizing systems that maintain their own structure and function.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Risk to life refers to the potential impacts of environmental perturbations on living organisms at various scales.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Goldilocks zone is the region around a star where the temperature is suitable for life, making it vital for potential habitability of exoplanets.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Humanity's ability to imagine enables complex thought processes, creativity, and problem-solving beyond instinct.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Lecture 7 discusses how environmental models set the foundation for understanding human behavior and its implications.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Eukaryotic organisms have complex cells with a nucleus, while prokaryotic organisms are simple cells without a nucleus.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>An example of an extremophile is a thermophile, which thrives in high temperatures above 100°C.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Viruses cannot replicate independently and require a host cell to reproduce, which leads them to be classified as non-living entities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The desert biome is characterized by hot and dry conditions, with limited vegetation and animal life.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The human biome encompasses the ecosystem of microorganisms that live inside and on the human body, playing a vital role in health and disease.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Carl Sagan defines life as a self-sustaining chemical system capable of undergoing Darwinian evolution.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The search for weird life seeks life forms with significantly different biochemistries or physical properties compared to those on Earth.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Archaea are ancient microorganisms that thrive in extreme environments, such as high temperatures or salinity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Existential risks are those that threaten the survival of humanity, making them crucial to address to ensure the continuation of human life and society.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Environmental risks are closely connected to human behaviors as our actions can lead to environmental degradation, impacting both ecosystems and societies.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The cognitive revolution, occurring 50,000 years ago, marked the onset of complex behaviors and thinking, shaping how humans interact with their environment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Aristotle identifies the rational soul as the unique characteristic that distinguishes humans from other animals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Isaac Newton's discoveries, particularly in calculus and the universal law of gravity, exemplify human rationality and the pursuit of knowledge.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Human evolution is intricately linked to environmental risk, as our survival and advancement have depended on how we interact with and adapt to our surroundings.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Societal risks pose threats to human societies and cultures by potentially disrupting social structures and cultural continuity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Humans exhibit a gregarious nature similar to social animals like bees and cranes, but what sets humans apart is their rational soul that underlies social interaction.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It assumes individuals are rational and self-interested.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Homo sociologicus tends to spend everything for future societies, while Homo economicus only spends when personally affected by climate change.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Type 1 focuses on future societies, Type 3 on personal impact, and Type 4 on political responsibilities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The 42 k event refers to a major drought, and the debate centers around its substantial impact and existence.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Proving the climate signature, demonstrating changes in human habitation, and evidence of drought impact.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It criticizes the portrayal of past societies as isolated and homogeneous.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They utilized diversification of activities and migration to new resource-rich areas.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>These scales are interconnected and significantly influence each other.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Kahneman's System 1 and System 2 illustrate the interplay between emotion and rationality, mirroring Hume's view that both must be considered together.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection provides the foundational understanding of human behavior's biological underpinnings.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The neo-Darwinian synthesis reduces explanations of human behavior primarily to evolutionary factors, highlighting the biological basis of culture.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Theory reduction in the Darwinian model suggests that different disciplines, including psychology and sociology, can be understood through a unified evolutionary framework.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Modeling human behavior is challenged by its complexity and the lack of sufficient knowledge about the interdependencies in human and environmental interactions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Neo-Darwinists view culture as tethered to biological factors, suggesting that human behavior is influenced by evolutionary biology.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>William James's pragmatism highlights the importance of experience in shaping human thought and behavior, emphasizing a practical approach to understanding experiences.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The problem with theory reduction raises questions about the extent to which biology determines human behavior and the complexities of cultural influences.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The key components include broad speculation about possible futures, refining scenarios with new information, and considering multiple scenarios to anticipate outcomes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Dutch Shell used scenario planning to anticipate energy crises and geopolitical shifts, which allowed them to adapt their strategies effectively.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It means that each scenario is considered plausible without favoring one over the others, allowing for a broad exploration of possible futures.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A science of environmental risk is necessary to integrate knowledge and better understand the impacts of external events like COVID-19 and climate change.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Cultural adaptation involves modifying cultural practices to better align with changing environmental conditions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Acknowledging modeling inadequacies allows for more flexible thinking and prepares organizations for unforeseen variables in human behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Scenario planning explores utopian ideas by imagining perfect futures while focusing on the necessary conditions to realize them.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Scenarios are not tied to specific probabilities but represent a range of plausible futures, allowing for broader strategic insights.</p> Signup and view all the answers