A natural history of cheating from selfish genes to lying
politicians Nature is rife with cheating. Possums play possum,
feigning death to cheat predators. Crows cry wolf to scare off
rivals. Amphibians and reptiles are inveterate impostors. Even
genes and cells cheat. The Liars of Nature and the Nature of Liars
explores the evolution of cheating in the natural world, revealing
how dishonesty has given rise to wondrous diversity. Blending
cutting-edge science with a wealth of illuminating examples—from
microscopic organisms to highly intelligent birds and
mammals—Lixing Sun shows how cheating in nature relies on two
basic rules. One is lying, by which cheaters exploit honest
messages in communication signals and use them to serve their own
interests. The other is deceiving, by which cheaters exploit the
biases and loopholes in the sensory systems of other creatures. Sun
demonstrates that cheating serves as a potent catalyst in the
evolutionary arms race between the cheating and the cheated,
resulting in a biological world teeming with complexity and beauty.
Brimming with insight and humor, The Liars of Nature and the Nature
of Liars also looks at the prevalence of cheating in human society,
identifying the kinds of cheating that spur innovation and cultural
vitality and laying down a blueprint for combatting malicious
cheating such as fake news and disinformation.
General
Imprint: |
Princeton University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
April 2023 |
First published: |
2023 |
Authors: |
Lixing Sun
|
Dimensions: |
242 x 165 x 25mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
269 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-691-19860-6 |
Categories: |
Books >
Science & Mathematics >
Biology, life sciences >
General
|
LSN: |
0-691-19860-8 |
Barcode: |
9780691198606 |
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