Bipolar, Chincheiro e Gênio: Robert Trivers

Resenha do novo livro de um dos mais importantes biólogos evolutivos, Robert Trivers, The Folly of Fools The Logic of Deceit and Self-Deception in Human Life: Trivers calls deceit a “deep feature” of life, even a necessity, given genes’ brutal struggle to prevail. Anglerfish lure prey by dangling “bait” in front of their jaws, edible butterflies deter predators by adopting the coloring of poisonous species. Possums play possum, cowbirds and cuckoos avoid the hassle of raising offspring by laying their eggs in other birds’ nests. Even viruses and bacteria employ subterfuge to sneak past a host’s immune systems. The complexity of organisms, Trivers suggests, stems at least in part from a primordial arms race between deceit and deceit-detection.