9. Why doesn't everyone clear up?
Ella investigates those free riders who just don’t pull their weight around the house - is it just laziness or is there some deep-wired evolutionary reason at work here?
It’s a familiar problem with any shared household - there’s always someone who doesn’t do their fair share. Studies have shown that when people with different thresholds live together, the person with the lower tolerance for mess cleans up more, quickly leading to resentment and conflict. So why do some people clean up more than others? What needs to happen for everyone to pull their weight? Evolutionary science has some answers. Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to Dr Nichola Raihani, Professor of Evolution and Behaviour from University College London, to find out about free riders, cheaters and public goods, and how evolutionary scientists view cooperation challenges. Great British Bake Off star Michael Chakraverty shares his own anecdotes of untidy flatmates and failed attempts to enhance cooperation.
Last on
Broadcasts
- Fri 23 Dec 202214:45BBC Radio 4
- Thu 30 May 202421:45BBC Radio 4 FM
- Sun 2 Jun 202419:45BBC Radio 4 FM
Podcast
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Why Do We Do That?
Ella Al-Shamahi investigates the origins of everyday human habits and behaviour.

