To many residents Binghamton, New York, appears to be on the decline. The once thriving community was struck hard by the economic downturn. It now has a shrinking population, rising crime rates and increasing drug use among youth. But recently, the city's quality of life got a boost from an unusual source: an evolutionary biologist who has studied microbes, zooplankton, and birds. Professor David Sloan Wilson is an expert on the evolutionary roots of altruism and cooperation, and he's applying his insights to helping Binghamton promote kindness. Wilson's Binghamton Neighborhood Project is part of a "whole-neighborhood" movement that seeks more comprehensive ways to improve the lives of at-risk kids. More broadly, it is helping community leaders understand how a neighborhood's social environment can increase kindness and reduce problems like violence and drug use.
