Article

The refinement paradox and cumulative cultural evolution: collective improvement in knowledge favors conformity, blind copying and hyper-credulity

2024-03-25

Abstract excerpt

Social learning is common in nature, yet cumulative culture (where knowledge and technology increase in complexity and diversity over time) appears restricted to humans. To understand why, we organized a computer tournament in which programmed entries specified when to learn new knowledge and when to refine (i.e. improve) existing knowledge. The tournament revealed a ‘refinement paradox’: refined behavior afforded...

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Identifiers and source

Literature Corpus work: 751a1ff5-0e3b-5d92-9304-42e8aafef393
DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.22.586239

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