Junto: Hybrids, Bottlenecks, and the Deep Origins of Order

​Roughly 7,000 years ago, humanity hit a wall. Genetic evidence reveals a catastrophic "Y-chromosome bottleneck" where male diversity collapsed to near-extinction levels. Some models suggest the reproductive ratio dropped as low as one man for every seventeen women.

​At the exact same moment this genetic silence falls, our oldest myths begin to speak of "men of renown," "giants," and kings like Gilgamesh who were "two-thirds god."

​Join us for a Junto discussion on the Origins of Political Order viewed through the lens of speculative evolutionary biology.

​We will debate whether our fundamental social technologies—marriage, inheritance, and the state itself—were actually desperate "peace treaties" invented to survive a biological war we have long forgotten.

​Come for the ancient genetics; stay for the implications on modern network states.

​Benjamin Franklin's original Junto focused on intellectual improvement and civil discourse with specific rules. For modern groups inspired by the Junto, the rules often emphasize respectful communication, accountability, and focused time management, while still encouraging open sharing and debate.