Welcome

(Credit: Andre Daugherty, 2025)

Hello! My name is Dr. Mason Youngblood, and I study animal communication and cultural evolution at the Institute for Advanced Computational Science at Stony Brook University. My research combines computational methods like machine learning and agent-based modeling to explore how socially learned behaviors change over time and space. In recent years, I've investigated questions such as:

• What are the parallels between human language and animal communication systems like bird and whale song?
• How do cultural norms and community structures shape changes in contemporary music?
• What environmental and social factors drive the spread of extremist political ideology?

Beyond research, I'm also a sound artist, music producer, and freelance AI developer. If you'd like to chat, feel free to reach out!