It is common for us to focus on the competitive aspects of the well-worn phrase “survival of the fittest.” As it turns out, however, we sell nature short when we do so. Fitness is not simply a cutthroat matter of outperforming others to survive and reproduce—thus passing along those successful genes. As you will learn in this issue's cover story, “Why We Help,” by Martin A. Nowak, cooperation among members of groups, from single-celled amoebas to the complex assemblages found in mammals, has helped shape the evolution of all of life on earth in profound ways. Individuals may engage in various flavors of cooperation, from discharging a beneficial duty for kin to performing selfless actions for the greater good. It may (or may not) surprise you to learn that people earn a unique place among species as the most mutually helpful of all. Nowak calls the phenomenon the “snuggle for survival.” For more, turn to page 34.

Surely science, which can involve teams of researchers from around the globe working on projects, is one of humankind's great collaborative endeavors. Yet society also enjoys shining a spotlight on those individuals whose contributions have been most worthy of our group's admiration. In our special section “Nobel Pursuits,” timed for the annual gathering in which laureates and young scientists (cooperatively) share insights at Lindau near Germany's Lake Constance, we offer a selection of excerpts from the many feature articles by Nobel Prize–winning authors who have appeared over the years in the pages of Scientific American. Beginning on page 62, associate editors John Matson and Ferris Jabr frame the section with an overview of the key questions in physics today in honor of the topic theme chosen for the 62nd annual Lindau meeting.

Last, I wanted to mention a recent travel highlight. I was a panel moderator at Neuromagic 2012, a conference that brought together neuroscientists and magicians to the Island of Thought, also called San Simón, in the bay of Vigo, Spain. In a few days this remarkable group of students of human behavior and the mind advanced discussion in several important areas—teamwork at its best.

Science in Action Science Fair Winners

Following the Scientific American-sponsored $50,000 Science in Action Award announced last month comes the rest of the Google Science Fair category winners, to be announced on July 23. This is the second year of the global online competition, which awards students in three age groups from 13 to 18, and I am delighted to be one of the judges. Look for our coverage at www.ScientificAmerican.com. —M.D.

3 Comments

1. 1. gmrichmond99 03:16 PM 6/19/12

   To insinuate that one species would help another species at peril of its own demise to prosper another is ludicrous. Despite the pretense that "survival of the fittest" is a worn out phrase it is still the model for evolutionary theory. Until another "catch phrase" is found which better describes the means by which some survive and others don't in a given climate, keep digging. BTW, it begs the question, does evolutionary theory have legs, or is it still swimming in the primordial soup?

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2. 2. voyager 04:49 PM 6/26/12

   I'm a lowly English major, but even I can see that these advantageous opportunities for inter-species adaptations aren't as painted: they're niches of potential survival which various life forms will compete ruthlessly to fill.

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3. 3. AdamDorfman 01:41 PM 7/1/12

   After reading your comment, I has to say that I was compelled to reply because you could not have better illustrated what the study was all about. It doesn't matter whether the final conclusion is correct or not, but its reason for being has value and with time, it'll converge to something of value. But what you showed, is exactly what is at the core of the study and that is taking an violent and adversarial position against something that is non threatening. You have essentially and unknowingly providing a sample point of someone who wants to defy and work against a group, just for the sake of doing so, and in this case (contrary for the situation in the prisoners dilemma) with nothing to gain from doing so. (except maybe fighting for your insecurities at your own peril)
   
   And to follow up on your question about "To insinuate that one species would help another species at peril of its own demise to prosper another is ludicrous."
   
   Using the word ridiculous, tell me you see it as never or 100% not the case over the history of time
   
   and to me, that tells me that you don't know your calculus or statistics very well. Understanding future derivatives of an event and the historical probability of an event, such as a cooperative effort to allow one to prosper over the other, and to insinuate that this event has never occurred in over the life of time, is essentially a statement that is impossible to make.

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