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Lixing Sun

is Professor of Biology at Central Washington University.

Lixing Sun is currently a Professor of Biology at Central Washington University. He studies, teaches, and writes about animal behavior, human nature, evolution, and behavioral economics.

Authored by

Lixing Sun

February 1, 2017

Xenophobia in the Light of Evolution: On the Origins of Anti-Immigration Sentiment

Besides racial prejudice, what else are there behind xenophobia? Among the evolved human instincts, we can find at least two for the anti-immigration sentiment: territoriality and the endowment effect.

Biology

Politics

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March 2, 2016

When Democracy Meets the Ghost of Evolution: Why Short Presidents Have Vanished

Size matters in politics: America hasn’t seen a president shorter than 5’7” since William McKinley. A main culprit, unbeknownst to many, comes from voters’ cognitive biases—the work of evolution. And the conundrum took a theatrical turn early this year when Marco Rubio, a Republican presidential hopeful, was spotted wearing a pair of new boots. #bootgate