In this fascinating discussion with anthropologist Dr. Jamie Saris, we explore how bees and humans collaborate, compete, and communicate in order to survive. Just as bees form hives and human form communities, we must work together towards common goals and share resources if we hope to thrive.

Dr. Jamie Saris, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, NUI Maynooth

Dr Saris is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology, Maynooth University. He holds advanced degrees in Social-Cultural Anthropology from the University of Chicago (MA and PhD), and he has completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinically-Relevant Medical Anthropology in the Department of Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

Timeline Summary:

[00:36] Introducing Secret 17 The Game of Survival: collaboration and sharing resources.

[01:02] Welcoming my brilliant co-host Dr. Jamie Saris, associate professor of anthropology at Maynooth University.

[01:55] Interspecies collaboration in nature through “resource partitioning.”

[09:08] Comparing resource sharing in bee colonies to business partnerships and strategic alliances.

[10:04] Businesses create their own supportive ecosystems, just as diverse lifeforms depend on each other. Competition and collaboration go hand in hand.

[11:43] Discussing human collaboration, aggression, and the complexity of parsing competition from cooperation.

[13:33] Language and culture make human collaboration/competition far more complex than in nature. Managing differences becomes critical.

[16:47] Tailoring products and messaging to cross cultural divides requires understanding nuances in worldviews. Fine-tuned communication is key.

[20:45] Bees “vote” through scent and humans vote through words, but both systems aim for group alignment.

[22:14] Successful human communities balance flexibility, communication styles, and giving people a personal stake.

[24:35] Shared visions and goals are crucial. Collaborating on dreams bonds people more tightly than administrative systems.

[26:32] The printing press changed communication through proliferating words over images. We must re-learn the art of pictorial dreaming.

[27:05] Anthropology explores how stories and narratives become binding forces within cultures.

Links and Resources:

ProjectHoneyLight.life (https://projecthoneylight.life/)

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