Highlights

Instead of battling cancer, some cactus breeds simply adapt. Arizona State University researchers wonder if human beings can do the same.

Generosity helps communities manage risk and cope with disasters. New research untangles the factors that lead people to help neighbors in need. Learn more about The Human Generosity Project in this article.

Four-day conference bridging science and the arts explores zombification to engage in potentially frightening aspects of the future.

Cancer, with us since the dawn of cellular life, is a companion we may never be rid of, says Arizona State University evolutionary biologist Athena Aktipis. But a fresh look at the disease could bring new strategies for managing it, she told a Harvard audience on Wednesday.

“In every society we’re studying, we have found need-based transfers,” says Human Generosity Project co-director Athena Aktipis. Learn more about the Maasai tradition of osotua and the generosity of amongst herders in asking for help.
 

Human Generosity Project co-director Lee Cronk and Human Generosity Project member Dennis Sonkoi were interviewed for an article about friendship.

According to Athena Aktipis, our lab director, and researcher at ASU's Biodesign Institute, microbes within the body—collectively known as the microbiota—also engage in cooperative and combative behavior with human cells in their environment.

Dr. Aktipis interviewed on The Daily Dot about "The unexpected perks of Lyft and Uber’s random encounters - the future of Ride - Hailing" and how ride sharing taps into our generous nature as humans.

This article in High Country News covers our work on sharing in times of need as part of The Human Generosity Project, focusing on cooperation among ranchers in southern Arizona and New Mexico.

This New York Times article is based on a review paper we published about microchimerism, maternal-fetal conflict and health.

This New York Times article covers our review of cancer as cheating in multicellular cooperation.

Could microbes be manipulating our eating behavior? This New York Times article covers our review of the potential mechanisms and evolutionary pressures that could lead to microbial manipulation.