The article is interesting and biographical, but for those not interested in biography: The Price Equation[1] simply states that the change in a trait due to n

The article is interesting and biographical, but for those not interested in biography: The Price Equation[1] simply states that the change in a trait due to natural selection is proportional to the covariance between that trait and it's impact on "fitness" (survivability). The link to altruism is that the equation applies to a whole population, not just an individual. So, spending time and energy to help your kin can increase evolutionary pressure for your traits, so long as the gain in utility from the resource transfer is larger than the genetic difference between you. The equation is useful and accurate, though not incredibly insightful. From the article: It is like a footballer who, when asked how their team will win the next match, says they will score more goals than the other team. By trying to explain the game at its most fundamental level, say the critics, the equation explains and predicts nothing about why certain traits should increase or decrease fitness. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_equation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_equation