Barash went on to get a zoology doctorate and wrote his dissertation on the behavior of Olympic marmots, but over the years, his focus has returned to that most curious animal, the human being. As a professor of sociobiology in the department of psychology at the University of Washington, he has published a number of popular science books seeking to expose how humans, for all our trappings of culture, science, religion and consciousness, remain deeply rooted in our biological past, slaves in many respects to ancient adaptations in our anachronistic genetics, or, as he puts it, “the tyranny of the natural.” Absurdly, Barash’s “Peace Studies” class — an exploration of the roots of human violence and war — led neoconservative David Horowitz to label him as one of America’s “101 Most Dangerous Academics.” Barash, a balding, bearded man with an impish smile, has taken this in good humor, and now signs his e-mails “Dangerous David.”
more from the LA Weekly here.