Tinkering with social tinkering.

Our commentators have broadly welcomed the notion of social tinkering, while also offering a range of suggestions, refinements, and potential challenges. In our response, we clarify the concept of social tinkering, sharpen our account of the six stages of cultural evolution, consider whether additional mechanisms are needed to explain the emergence of cultural complexity, and explore a range of possible extensions to the social tinkering framework. We conclude by discussing broader implications and future directions for this research program, including a reconsideration of Rogers' paradox.