Before we consider opportunities and solutions, it is worth noting that medicine’s isolation from evolutionary biology is just one example of the fragmentation that iso- lates many disciplines. Some of the isolation results from academic structures that allow hiring and promotion to be controlled by narrow disciplines. Universities talk a lot about promoting interdisciplinary work precisely because their structures so efficiently prevent it. However, disci- plines exist for good reasons. There is too much to know. Trying to synthesize work from diverse areas is frustrat- ing, especially if the goal is general understanding, not some fine point. Also, going beyond your specialty means you will inevitably get some things wrong. It is.
