Presented by Mizzou's Open Minds Initiative, the University of Missouri will welcome internationally recognized scientist and bestselling author Nicholas Christakis for a public lecture, Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society, at 6 p.m. Sept. 17 in Jesse Auditorium. 

Named one of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World, Christakis is a Yale University professor whose groundbreaking research explores how social networks shape human behavior, relationships and society. Drawing from his New York Times bestselling book Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society, Christakis will examine a provocative question: Are human beings destined for conflict, or are we fundamentally wired for cooperation? 

Through examples ranging from historical and contemporary cultures to shipwreck survivors, intentional communities, online networks and even the social lives of elephants and dolphins, Christakis demonstrates how groups consistently create commonality around shared principles. Despite vast cultural differences, he argues that people around the world exhibit striking similarities in how they organize social life and work together. 

The lecture will offer attendees an opportunity to explore how our capacity for friendship and cooperation may run deeper than our divisions. 

The Open Minds Initiative sponsors courses, events, and scholarship dedicated to fostering a vibrant academic environment where the free exchange of ideas, intellectual pluralism, and civil discourse are celebrated as essential pillars of education. This commitment aims to strengthen the purpose and promise of higher education, bridge ideological differences, reduce political polarization, and strengthen democratic values on campus and beyond.