Dear Geoffrey -

Thanks so much for those tickets! I really, really enjoyed the lecture, and so did my mom... We had a lot to talk about afterwards. Such incredible ideas, very inspiring.

After attending the lecture, and reading your books (mindbinders both), I think I'm gonna focus on you two guys, the event, and your books, with some of Vlad Griskevicius's research brought in (who's been real helpful, and I loved his Peacock's and Picasso paper, which is how I found you). I'm trying to get in touch with David through McSweeney's to ask him a few Q's as well. I've listed some below. There are ten, but answer whichever ones you want, or the ones you actually have something to say about. (These were just things I was thinking about post-lecture and -book.) You kept anticipating things I wanted to ask, and even random connections, such as the Modern Lovers song which had been running in my head since reading Vlad's article. One of my favorite refrains ever:

Well he was only 5'3"
But girls could not resist his stare
Pablo Picasso never got called an asshole
Not in New York


Anyway, here are the questions. Answer however you like, feeling free to be brief.

1. Hitler seems to be an interesting case. You mention his use of the Mad Dog Strategy. Is there something more here, considering he was a failed artist (failed to widely display his creativity), but eventually became sexually adored by many women? Could some (most?) of his behavior be explained by sexual selection? (I imagine this is dangerous, prickly territory, of course.)

2. Have you done any studies involving homosexual men and/or women? I wonder how the concept of creative analysis versus creative production might differ between heterosexual and homosexual men and women.

3. How do you think your brain differs from David Byrnes'? Or: according to that press release, I think you have some theories, or at least opinions, on David's music. Like what?

4. Why do you think everybody laughs at the idea of sexual displays and mating? The bowerbird is a huge comic hit, for example, because its behavior looks a lot like some human courting behavior. (This question may relate to the nature of laughter itself, however, rather than anything evolution-related.)

5. Beside the motivation many scientists have to display their familiarity with the canon of art so that people don't think they're simply "truth" obsessed, do you feel a necessity to balance out your research in evolutionary origins with art (painting, literature, music, film, which its clear you know a lot about)? (Granted, many of your theories are beautiful/artistic in themselves)

6. In The Mating Mind you write that evolution is heartlessly unromantic. As an evolutionary psychologist (ie, someone who studies evolution, and especially sexual selection), is it difficult to believe in romance...?

7. David Byrne writes this in the intro to his book:
I happen to believe that a lot of scientific and rational premises are irrational to begin with—that the work of much science and academic inquiry is, deep down, merely the elaborate justification of desire, bias, whim, and glory. I sense that to some extent the rational "thinking" areas of our brains are super-rationalization engines. They provide us with means and justifications for our more animal impulses. They allow us to justify them to both ourselves and then, when that has been accomplished, to others. "The hope that a mathematically unique solution will emerge [as an explanation of nature] is as faith-based as intelligent design," says Leonard Susskind, inventor of string theory.

Do you agree with these statements, or do you take issue with any of them? Where does rationality come in for you, if it comes in at all?

8. Heartache/heartbreak: Increased cardiac activity due to the stress/anxiety of a romantic attachment coming undone? More specifi than this?

9. What about reputedly asexual artists, like Borges, or the later Henry James? (Andy Warhol's wasn't exactly asexual, but he's an interesting one - a man who clearly wanted love and fame and recognition through his art, and sort of made that his thing. (Loved the deft explanation of why Warhol would not have drawn a candy bar, by the way. That particular guy's question - a classic example of a male striving to be heard, despite not knowing what he's talking about...?)

10. To date, what do you consider the most interesting evolutionary discovery you've made?