David Sun
@arcticinstincts.bsky.social
Fellow @Science_Seeds ex @UW Exploring modern and ancestral ecological/climatic influences on personality and culture. #Arcticism
My first scientific paper went viral on X w 1m+ views, follows from top scholars, founders, but also gulag threats.
My new peer-reviewed APA paper shows general East Asian personality may be shaped by selective pressures of Ice Age Siberia ~20000 yrs ago❄️
📖 doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000373
How so?🧵👇
My new peer-reviewed APA paper shows general East Asian personality may be shaped by selective pressures of Ice Age Siberia ~20000 yrs ago❄️
📖 doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000373
How so?🧵👇
October 18, 2025 at 8:48 AM
She blocked me within one minute of this post. Very convincing counterargument
October 10, 2025 at 11:47 AM
She blocked me within one minute of this post. Very convincing counterargument
its linked in the first thread post
March 20, 2025 at 5:08 PM
its linked in the first thread post
Hi Kristina, bsky recommended you as an expert in Chinese philosophy. Any thoughts on this new paper proposing ecological (arctic) origins of Confucianism and Chinese thought? bsky.app/profile/arct...
My first scientific paper went viral on X w 1m+ views, follows from top scholars, founders, but also gulag threats.
My new peer-reviewed APA paper shows general East Asian personality may be shaped by selective pressures of Ice Age Siberia ~20000 yrs ago❄️
📖 doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000373
How so?🧵👇
My new peer-reviewed APA paper shows general East Asian personality may be shaped by selective pressures of Ice Age Siberia ~20000 yrs ago❄️
📖 doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000373
How so?🧵👇
March 20, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Hi Kristina, bsky recommended you as an expert in Chinese philosophy. Any thoughts on this new paper proposing ecological (arctic) origins of Confucianism and Chinese thought? bsky.app/profile/arct...
hey Brendan, bsky recommend you as a sino expert. Any thoughts on this new theory of ecological origins of Confucianism? bsky.app/profile/arct...
My first scientific paper went viral on X w 1m+ views, follows from top scholars, founders, but also gulag threats.
My new peer-reviewed APA paper shows general East Asian personality may be shaped by selective pressures of Ice Age Siberia ~20000 yrs ago❄️
📖 doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000373
How so?🧵👇
My new peer-reviewed APA paper shows general East Asian personality may be shaped by selective pressures of Ice Age Siberia ~20000 yrs ago❄️
📖 doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000373
How so?🧵👇
March 20, 2025 at 5:06 PM
hey Brendan, bsky recommend you as a sino expert. Any thoughts on this new theory of ecological origins of Confucianism? bsky.app/profile/arct...
I will be testing the foundations of other dominant models of psychology,& incumbent theories, and will release the earliest unpublished research, hypotheses, coauthor requests, and commentary on my new free substack davidsun.substack.com Subscribe for early access!
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Outsider's Edge | David Sun | Substack
Challenging the foundations of the most complacent sciences, ideologies, and philosophies with overlooked interdisciplinary and new empirical evidence.
Focus on cultural & evo psychology, metascience...
davidsun.substack.com
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
I will be testing the foundations of other dominant models of psychology,& incumbent theories, and will release the earliest unpublished research, hypotheses, coauthor requests, and commentary on my new free substack davidsun.substack.com Subscribe for early access!
END 🧵
END 🧵
If you have thoughts on the paper, the journal is accepting academic-level commentaries w June 30 deadline, max 15 pg dbl space incl references. Feel free to invite other scholars to read & comment. If interested, DM me for editor's email.
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
If you have thoughts on the paper, the journal is accepting academic-level commentaries w June 30 deadline, max 15 pg dbl space incl references. Feel free to invite other scholars to read & comment. If interested, DM me for editor's email.
Paper out soon on the effects of ancestral tropics and heat stress, and temperate habitats on other major ancestry folks
Perhaps humans do not perceive life & our modern world as it is, but rather as a cumulative reflection of all the diverse habitats our ancestors survived in.
Perhaps humans do not perceive life & our modern world as it is, but rather as a cumulative reflection of all the diverse habitats our ancestors survived in.
a palm tree on a sandy beach with the ocean behind it
ALT: a palm tree on a sandy beach with the ocean behind it
media.tenor.com
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Paper out soon on the effects of ancestral tropics and heat stress, and temperate habitats on other major ancestry folks
Perhaps humans do not perceive life & our modern world as it is, but rather as a cumulative reflection of all the diverse habitats our ancestors survived in.
Perhaps humans do not perceive life & our modern world as it is, but rather as a cumulative reflection of all the diverse habitats our ancestors survived in.
The well known distinctly EA combo of sociocultural problems (excessive conformity, emotional repression, death by overwork, shyness, image obsession, introversion, risk aversion, social sensitivity etc) may be mainly remnants of ancient Arcticism, & not Confucianism/agriculture.
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
The well known distinctly EA combo of sociocultural problems (excessive conformity, emotional repression, death by overwork, shyness, image obsession, introversion, risk aversion, social sensitivity etc) may be mainly remnants of ancient Arcticism, & not Confucianism/agriculture.
Is this environmental/geographic determinism? No, recent climato-econ & socioecology research shows some environments can be more deterministic than others. Especially ones like the Arctic whose selective pressures caused severe bottleneck events, and shaped morphology/genetics/medical markers.
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Is this environmental/geographic determinism? No, recent climato-econ & socioecology research shows some environments can be more deterministic than others. Especially ones like the Arctic whose selective pressures caused severe bottleneck events, and shaped morphology/genetics/medical markers.
Are these traits genetic, epigenetic or cultural? It may be one, or a mix. Polar studies show selective pressures, but w/o future gene studies, we don't know. This paper can guide the difficult search for polygenic traits. East Asian parenting is known to transmit and enforce these traits
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Are these traits genetic, epigenetic or cultural? It may be one, or a mix. Polar studies show selective pressures, but w/o future gene studies, we don't know. This paper can guide the difficult search for polygenic traits. East Asian parenting is known to transmit and enforce these traits
It already has successful predictions-
In Singapore, ethnic Chinese have only 1/6th the rate of claustrophobia vs Malays & Indians, despite all w same national upbringing/rice farm ancestry. 🌾
EA polar expeditioners have higher endurance, motivation, psych stability than N.American ones ⛷️
In Singapore, ethnic Chinese have only 1/6th the rate of claustrophobia vs Malays & Indians, despite all w same national upbringing/rice farm ancestry. 🌾
EA polar expeditioners have higher endurance, motivation, psych stability than N.American ones ⛷️
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
It already has successful predictions-
In Singapore, ethnic Chinese have only 1/6th the rate of claustrophobia vs Malays & Indians, despite all w same national upbringing/rice farm ancestry. 🌾
EA polar expeditioners have higher endurance, motivation, psych stability than N.American ones ⛷️
In Singapore, ethnic Chinese have only 1/6th the rate of claustrophobia vs Malays & Indians, despite all w same national upbringing/rice farm ancestry. 🌾
EA polar expeditioners have higher endurance, motivation, psych stability than N.American ones ⛷️
Novel testable predictions- EAs will tolerate close quarters group confinement (igloos/tents) better & have more Arcticist traits vs other ancestry ppl, controlled for pastoralism: Mongols vs Cossacks, Berbers, Somalis- & rice farming: South🇨🇳/🇯🇵/🇰🇷 vs Indians, Malays, N.Italians.
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Novel testable predictions- EAs will tolerate close quarters group confinement (igloos/tents) better & have more Arcticist traits vs other ancestry ppl, controlled for pastoralism: Mongols vs Cossacks, Berbers, Somalis- & rice farming: South🇨🇳/🇯🇵/🇰🇷 vs Indians, Malays, N.Italians.
Confucianism revived preexisting Zhou dynasty values, can't act as sudden cause of EA personality. 🍚Rice farming induces collectivism but can't extend to North China, Mongolia, Tibet, Manchuria, Inuit
Indian/N.Italian/Iranian/Malay rice farmers general psych differs from EA
Indian/N.Italian/Iranian/Malay rice farmers general psych differs from EA
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Confucianism revived preexisting Zhou dynasty values, can't act as sudden cause of EA personality. 🍚Rice farming induces collectivism but can't extend to North China, Mongolia, Tibet, Manchuria, Inuit
Indian/N.Italian/Iranian/Malay rice farmers general psych differs from EA
Indian/N.Italian/Iranian/Malay rice farmers general psych differs from EA
Thus Arcticism is a parsimonious theory for paleo-origins of general EA psych, before adding on later Holocene individualism effects of pastoralism🦌 on Mongols/Tibetans, & collectivism effects of agriculture🌾 on Han Chinese, Japanese, Koreans- leading to further local variation
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Thus Arcticism is a parsimonious theory for paleo-origins of general EA psych, before adding on later Holocene individualism effects of pastoralism🦌 on Mongols/Tibetans, & collectivism effects of agriculture🌾 on Han Chinese, Japanese, Koreans- leading to further local variation
Polar psychologists found the same traits to be adaptive & linked to success, & opposite traits to failure. The results are so consistent they've been refined into polar personnel selection criteria used in 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇳🇿🇩🇰🇳🇴 polar programs- mirroring ancient natural selection for traits
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Polar psychologists found the same traits to be adaptive & linked to success, & opposite traits to failure. The results are so consistent they've been refined into polar personnel selection criteria used in 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇳🇿🇩🇰🇳🇴 polar programs- mirroring ancient natural selection for traits
EAs & Inuit share traits of notably high emotional suppression, ingroup harmony & unassertiveness, indirectness, introversion, perseverance, self-consciousness, social sensitivity, risk aversion, visuospatial IQ, & worldviews. But does the Arctic cause this in polar workers? ❄️
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
EAs & Inuit share traits of notably high emotional suppression, ingroup harmony & unassertiveness, indirectness, introversion, perseverance, self-consciousness, social sensitivity, risk aversion, visuospatial IQ, & worldviews. But does the Arctic cause this in polar workers? ❄️
Armed w Sci-Hub, I sifted 100s of obscure papers on Inuit (who share Siberian ancestry w EA) & polar workers🥶. I found despite EA psych/personality being on an extreme end of global spectrum, Inuit & successful polar staff have the same psych profile, personality, & worldviews
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Armed w Sci-Hub, I sifted 100s of obscure papers on Inuit (who share Siberian ancestry w EA) & polar workers🥶. I found despite EA psych/personality being on an extreme end of global spectrum, Inuit & successful polar staff have the same psych profile, personality, & worldviews
EAs mainly descend from Ancient Northern East Asians around the Ice Age, w cold adapted bio/genes: high epicanthic eyefolds, PAC glaucoma, long torso/short lower limbs🏋🏻♂️, lighter skin, EDAR V370A, LEPR, TRIB2, ABCC11, CGC-type, FADS, ADAM17 etc. But how about psych adaptations🤔?
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
EAs mainly descend from Ancient Northern East Asians around the Ice Age, w cold adapted bio/genes: high epicanthic eyefolds, PAC glaucoma, long torso/short lower limbs🏋🏻♂️, lighter skin, EDAR V370A, LEPR, TRIB2, ABCC11, CGC-type, FADS, ADAM17 etc. But how about psych adaptations🤔?
Out of Africa human migrations are used in bio/genetics (but not psych) to model adaptation to ancient environments, like lactose tolerance🥛, metabolism. My method reviews studies of local workers & indigenous ppl to see if local ecology induces/selects for specific psych traits
March 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Out of Africa human migrations are used in bio/genetics (but not psych) to model adaptation to ancient environments, like lactose tolerance🥛, metabolism. My method reviews studies of local workers & indigenous ppl to see if local ecology induces/selects for specific psych traits