Events

KLI Colloquia are invited research talks of about an hour followed by 30 min discussion. The talks are held in English, open to the public, and offered in hybrid format. 

Join via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5881861923?omn=85945744831
Meeting ID: 588 186 1923

Fall–Winter 2026/27 KLI Colloquium Series

1 October 2026 (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET

Scientific Integration as Fit: The Developmental Biases of Interdisciplinarity

Olesya BONDARENKO (KLI)

 

8 October 2026 (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET

The Role of Conversational Cues in the Co-Evolution of Language and Cooperation

Theresa MATZINGER (University of Vienna)

 

5 November 2026 (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET

Kin Matters: An Intervention in the Fragile Sciences

Robert A. WILSON (University of Western Australia)

 

19 November 2026 (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET

TBA

Nicolas RIVRON (Institute of Molecular Biotechnology/IMBA, Vienna)

 

3 December 2026 (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET

The Great Holocene Transformation: What Complexity Science Tells Us About The Evolution of Complex Societies

Peter TURCHIN (Complexity Science Hub, Vienna)

 

10 December 2026 (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET

On the Cultural Macroevolution of Intentional Cranial Modifications

Marcelo SÁNCHEZ-VILLAGRA (University of Zurich)

 

14 January 2027 (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET

DNA from Archaeological Sediments as a Tracer for Past Societies

Benjamin VERNOT (University of Vienna)

 

28 January 2027 (Thurs) 3-4:30 PM CET

Beyond Fear: How the Amygdala Links Interoception and Exteroception

Ronald SLADKY (University of Vienna)

 

 

KLI Colloquia 2014 – 2026

Event Details

KLI Colloquia
Evolutionary Theories for Social-Ecological Change
Working Group Presentation
2023-04-20 15:00 - 2023-04-20 16:30
KLI
Organized by KLI
Register in advance for this meeting:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
 
Abstract / topic description:
 
The KLI Working Group on Evolutionary Theory of Social Ecological Change explores the connections between sustainability and evolutionary theory. Our working group started from the premise that many fruitful connections between social-ecological systems research and evolutionary theory have yet to be articulated. Social-ecological systems (SES) research provides a range of approaches for understanding how the complex interactions between humans, social systems, and our environments work, and how we might aim them towards long-term health and resilience.  Formal evolutionary theory has been broadly and usefully applied as a dynamic theory of change of complex phenomena in biology and increasingly in the social sciences.  However, evolution and SES have not been well integrated.  We explored the potential connections between evolutionary theory and SES research. We provide a field guide for practical collaboration across different disciplines. We show how terminological tangles can stymie collaboration between researchers and develop a conceptual mapping to help avoid these tangles. We provide examples of how evolutionary theory might be incorporated into SES research and application. Finally, we propose a rich and broad horizon of possible integrations, studies, applications and research questions that can be addressed by integrating evolutionary theory and SES research. 
 
To learn more about the KLI Working Group: 
 
Report of initial virtual meeting: https://www.kli.ac.at/en/the_kli/news/view/187 
Report of the first meeting of the working group: https://www.kli.ac.at/en/the_kli/news/view/336  
Report of the second meeting: https://www.kli.ac.at/en/the_kli/news/view/347