In a world increasingly focused on the intersection of spirituality and the natural world, evolutionary spirituality and ecospirituality stand out as two compelling frameworks. Both offer pathways to deeper connection and understanding of our place in the universe, yet they emerge from different roots and emphasize distinct aspects of the Continue Reading
Mitchell Ryan Distin, PhD
Mitchell Ryan Distin, PhD, is an evolutionary biologist, historian/philosopher of science, and Indigenous scholar who is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the non-profit thinktank Prosocial World and co-organizer of the Multilevel Selection Initiative alongside David Sloan Wilson—a new movement in science home to 60+ of the world’s top thinkers in biology, ecology, and the philosophy of biology working to build the next generation of biological and evolutionary theory, and apply such theory in social and spiritual contexts. Mitch has spent the last decade traveling the world, immersing himself in different cultures and living within Indigenous communities, while concomitantly performing his scientific research on the origins and maintenance of biodiversity. He is considered a leading scientific expert on the novel biological concepts of evolvability and multilevel selection theory. He currently writes for the online magazine This View of Life, and is the founder of the popular science blog and new podcast channel Walking The Red Road (www.WalkingTheRedRoad.Blog), which investigates the nexus of science and spirituality.
Evolutionary Spirituality: A New Frontier for Spiritual Exploration
In an era where science and spirituality often seem at odds, evolutionary spirituality offers a unique synthesis—a new frontier for spiritual exploration and a shelter of belonging. Rooted in a science-based systems view of evolutionary history, this emerging belief system provides a profound and integrative way of thinking and being Continue Reading
The Formations of a Spiritual Society
Egalitarianism was the chosen mold for society throughout most of our evolutionary history because it maintains both the individual and social levels better than the alternatives. (as previously published in the online magazine This View of Life) Can society be constructed in a spiritual way? By this, I should clarify, Continue Reading
The Key to a Happy Marriage is to Put Your Spouse’s Happiness Above Your Own.
They say a “happy wife equals a happy life”. I don’t know who they are, but it’s 2023. I shouldn’t assume. What matters is that they know their math (or “maths” for my friends suffering from an acute case of Britishness). Yesterday, after fervent hesitation and several intentional “delay of Continue Reading
Were We Genetically Determined To Be Fucked?
Homo sapiens have always been a little fucked. Recent evidence suggests that our road to fuckdom was the perfect confluence of nurture and nature, some chance, and a bit of bad timing. Our hominid ancestors left traces that they were always, to some degree, fucked. Like the token-drunk friend who leaves Continue Reading
The Greatest Scientific Discoveries You’ve Never Heard Of: MLS Theory and the Gaia
Biology, more so than any other science, typically shapes how we perceive and interact with the world around us. How we think about biological things directly affects and largely determines how we think about ourselves and our relationships with other people, to plants, to animals, or to nature more generally. Continue Reading
One Random Act of Kindness a Day
I’m not in the best situation financially. I recently completed a Ph.D. and job prospects are looking grim. Contrary to popular belief, young scientists are rarely paid a living wage, and most science work is done fo’ free (“Good luck trying to become a professor if you don’t have family Continue Reading
The Indigenous Notions of Kincentricity and Reciprocity: The Keys To Sustainability and Climate Change
(Published in the online magazine This View of Life) The co-founder of the NRDC and environmental advocate Gus Speth once famously quipped, “I thought that with 30 years of good science we could address those problems. But I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy… and Continue Reading
Hello world!
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!