astronomy

Peter J. Richerson

Peter J. Richerson is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Peter J. Richerson rather than just read about it. In short: Peter James Richerson (born October 11, 1943) is an American biologist. He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of California, Davis.

Key takeaways

Peter J. Richerson belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Peter J. Richerson to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Peter J. Richerson from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Peter James Richerson (born October 11, 1943) is an American biologist. He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of California, Davis.

Life Richerson studied entomology at UC Davis, earning his B.S. in 1965. In 1969, he completed his Ph.D. in zoology. After a postdoc and junior professorship, he was from 1977 until 2006 Professor of Environmental Science at UC Davis. He was a guest professor at University of California, Berkeley (1977–78), Duke University (1984), and the University of Exeter (2004). In 1991, he was a guest researcher at the Bielefeld University. He has made significant contributions to the study of biosocial and cultural evolution.[1]

Work Richerson's research interests include sociocultural evolution, human ecology and applied and tropical limnology.

Books (selected) Richerson, Peter; Boyd, Robert (1985). Culture and the Evolutionary Process. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. ISBN 0226069338. Richerson, Peter; Boyd, Robert (2005). Not by genes alone: How culture transformed human evolution. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. ISBN 0226712125. Richerson, Peter; Boyd, Robert (2005). The origin and evolution of cultures. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 019518145X.

References

External links Faculty profile at UC Davis Report from Richerson on YouTube on the origin of language, April 15, 2011, Brooklyn College

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Peter J. Richerson

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Peter J. Richerson claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Peter J. Richerson before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Peter J. Richerson ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Peter J. Richerson

In research: Peter J. Richerson appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Peter J. Richerson in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Peter J. Richerson is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1943 births, 21st-century American biologists, Cognitive science of religion, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Peter J. Richerson outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Peter J. Richerson in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Peter J. Richerson means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Peter J. Richerson out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Peter J. Richerson in simple terms?

Why does Peter J. Richerson matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Peter J. Richerson?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Peter J. Richerson.