The simple concept of evolution inspires some academics to pursue sexy ideas or other entities:
“The dating mind: Evolutionary psychology and the emerging science of human courtship,” Nathan Oesch and Igor Miklousic, Evolutionary Psychology, vol.10, no. 5, 2011, pp. 899-909. The authors, at the University of Oxford and the Institute of social sciences Ivo Pilar, write:
“In the New York Times bestselling book The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists (2006), the world was granted its first exclusive introduction to the steadily growing dating coach and pick-up artist community. Many of its most prominent authorities claim to use insights and information gleaned both through first-hand experience as well as empirical research in evolutionary psychology. One of the industry’s most well-respected authorities, the illusionist Erik von Markovik, promotes a three-phase model of human courtship: Attraction, building mutual Comfort and Trust, and Seduction. The following review argues that many of these claims are in fact grounded in solid empirical findings from social, physiological and evolutionary psychology.”
(Thanks to Martin Robbins for bringing this to our attention.)
BONUS: Neil Strauss, author of the book analyzed in this study, displays his knowledge: