The 5400 a BP extreme weakening event of the Asian summer monsoon and cultural evolution

We explored a time series of the Asian summer monsoon(ASM) variability during the transition period from the middle to the late Holocene in the marginal Asian monsoon region. We used an absolutely dated ^(230)Th record with only a ~20-year dating error, and oxygen isotope data with an 8-year average temporal resolution from the top 22-mm segment of stalagmite WXB07-4 from Wanxiang Cave, western Loess Plateau. The ASM intensity weakened gradually from 6420 to 4920 a BP, which was mainly characterized by three phases:(1) a strengthening phase with a higher precipitation amount between 6420 and 6170 a BP;(2) a smooth fluctuating interval during 6170–5700 a BP; and(3) a sudden extreme weakening period from 5700 to 4920 a BP. Interestingly, the extreme weakening interval of the ASM occurred during the period between 5700 and 4920 a BP, an abrupt change dated at 5430 a BP, which is known as the 5400 a BP, or 5.4 ka BP, event. The period included 290 years of gradual weakening, and 350 years of slow strengthening. This was synchronous with some cave records from the Asian monsoon region within dating errors. Comparing with Chinese archaeological archives over the past 7000 years, the early decline of the Yangshao Culture in the Yellow River Basin and the Hongshan Culture in the West Liao River Basin occurred during the period of gradual decrease of ASM precipitation. The dramatic decline in precipitation, caused by the extreme weakening of the ASM at 5400 a BP,may have been partly related to the decline of the Miaodigou Culture at the Yangguanzhai site in the Weihe River valley; the middle Yangshao Culture in western Henan in the Yellow River Basin; the early Dawenkou Culture on the lower reaches of the Yellow River; and the middle Hongshan Culture in the west of the Liaohe River valley. During the later period of the 5400 a BP event(5430–4920 a BP), a small amplitude increase and a subsequent sharp decrease of ASM precipitation may have also been linked to the contemporaneous prosperity and disappearance of the late Yangshao and Hongshan cultures; the disappearance of the late Yangshao Culture represented by the Yangguanzhai site in the Guanzhong basin on the Weihe River; the fourth phase of the late Yangshao Culture on the upstream Dadiwan site; the beginning of the middle Dawenkou Culture, the formation of its late stage,and the rise of the Longshan culture; and the rise of the Qujialing and Liangzhu cultures on the lower Yangtze River. Compared with the stalagmite precipitation records on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the rise and expansion of the Majiayao Culture in the upper Yellow River valley at 5300 a BP may have also been connected to the more dramatic increase of the summer monsoon precipitation at higher, rather than lower, altitudes during the late 5400 a BP event.

The Cultural Linguistic Code

For over thirty years I have been researching the origins of language by means of an original and innovative metod. If it consists of considering oral articulation, which produce phonetic sounds as informative gestures and expressions of a visible-expressive code, that precedes the use of phonetic codes. The meaning expressed through each of these articulate-oral gestures was identified through research-responses by two select sample groups of psychotic subjects, chosen because of their greater permeable accessibility to the collective unconscious. In this sense the application of phonetic sounds, that is ＂words＂, is no more than representative or substitutes of the use of pre-articulate oral-facial gestures, used by pre-sapiens to express their informative intentions. Using this method I have published three books, which analyzed precisely and systematically the inter-relationships between consonants in words of Info-european origin--that is the roots of these words--discovering that words sharing common root-consonants do indeed express part or all of their meaning in correspondence with the original meanings of their gestural archetype. The projection into objects of these pre-articulate gestural meanings denotes them by means of mediators＇ metaphors and analogies, this is appearing to be the fundamental reason for the variety of languages, since diverse peoples will use different psychic Freudian puns and methaphors, for the projection to similar object. I have examined over twenty languages, in relation to this generalized cultural code model, founded on biological reactivity to conditions in reality to advantage given its extensive informative use.

Environmental and technological effects on ancient social evolution at different spatial scales

The rise and fall of ancient cultures and civilizations is a hotly debated topic that has generated disagreements and disputes. In this paper we summarize some case studies on the abandonment of ancient sites, the prosperity and collapse of ancient cultures, and demographic changes, as well as the influence of environment and technology during the prehistoric and historic periods. We then suggest that the dominant influencing factors for the evolution of ancient societies vary by spatial scale.At the local scale, sudden disasters are critical factors leading to the destruction and abandonment of large settlements. On a regional scale, climatic variations(e.g., droughts or cold events lasting for decades or centuries) are important factors that induce the collapse of ancient civilizations and mass migrations, while an enduring and stable optimal climate facilitated the prosperity of ancient civilizations. On a global scale, major technological innovations and their dispersion lasting for centuries and even millennia are major catalysts for population growth and social development. Lastly, we illustrate a possible mechanism under which environmental and technological factors played a critical role in ancient human survival and social evolution on different spatial scales.

Behavioral constraints and the evolution of faithful social learning

Behavioral ＂traditions＂, i.e. behavioral patterns that are acquired with the aid of social learning and that are relatively stable in a group, have been observed in several species. Recently, however, it has been questioned whether non-human social learning is faithful enough to stabilize those patterns. The observed stability could be interpreted as a result of various constraints that limit the number of possible alternative behaviors, rather than of the fidelity of transmission mechanisms. Those constraints can be roughly described as ＂internal＂, such as mechanical （bodily） properties or cognitive limitations and predispositions, and ＂ex- ternal＂, such as ecological availability or pressures. Here we present an evolutionary individual-based model that explores the re- lationships between the evolution of faithful social learning and behavioral constraints, represented both by the size of the beha- vioral repertoire and by the ＂shape＂ of the search space of a given task. We show that the evolution of high-fidelity transmission mechanisms, when associated with costs （e.g. cognitive, biomechanical, energetic, etc.）, is only likely if the potential behavioral repertoire of a species is large and if the search space does not provide information that can be exploited by individual learning. Moreover we show how stable behavioral patterns （＂traditions＂） can be achieved at the population level as an outcome of both high-fidelity and low-fidelity transmission mechanisms, given that the latter are coupled with a small behavioral repertoire or with a search space that provide substantial feedback. Finally, by introducing the possibility of environmental change, we show that intermediate rates of change favor the evolution of faithful social learning

AIGC Related Context: A New Communication Culture For Human

The emergence and rapid development of Artificial Intelligence Generated Content(AIGC)technology is revolutionizing human communication and cultural landscapes.This paper explores the impact of AIGC on society,identifying three distinct cultural paradigms:AIGC Blended Culture,AIGC Based Culture,and AIGC Polluted Culture.AIGC Blended Culture represents a synergistic collaboration between AI and human creativity,enhancing content creation efficiency,promoting cross-cultural communication,and enriching human experiences.AIGC Based Culture signifies a shift where AI becomes the core driver of cultural production and dissemination.This leads to innovative cultural industry models,expanded development fields,and improved cultural product quality and diversity.However,AIGC Polluted Culture arises from the misuse of AIGC to produce or disseminate harmful content.The paper proposes countermeasures and recommendations to maximize the benefits of AIGC while mitigating potential risks.This involves fostering collaboration between AI and humans,focusing on talent cultivation,establishing and improving laws and regulations,and developing solutions to detect and mitigate harmful content.Additionally,promoting responsible innovation and ethical AI development is crucial.In conclusion,AIGC represents a transformative force reshaping human communication and culture.While offering immense opportunities for innovation and efficiency,it also presents challenges that require careful consideration and proactive measures to ensure its positive and sustainable impact on society.