Wilson speaks on science, arts, ants

Pulitzer Prize winner speaks to a packed Finney

Students, their visiting parents, faculty and local community members had the opportunity last Friday and Saturday to listen to lectures by noted biologist Edward O. Wilson.

Speaking to a packed Finney Chapel Friday at noon, Wilson, who has won two Pulitzer Prizes and was named in a 1996 issue of Time magazine as one of the 25 most influential people in America, discussed his theories on conscilience between social and biological sciences. Stressing that "conscilience is a matter of practical urgency," he explained that scholars address problems in the social condition in four different areas, each with its own experts. These areas included environmental policy, ethics, the social sciences and biology.

History Professor Marcia Colish introduced Wilson, saying his work "crosses boundaries between the distinctions of the humanities and science."

Saturday night a huge crowd filled a muggy Root Room to hear Wilson speak at the Oberlin College Friends of the Library dinner. His speech focused on the environment and man's awareness of the environment in which he lives. Wilson began the speech with a short, humorous discussion of ants, the focus of one of his Pulitzer Prize winning books. He continued to discuss current research in biodiversity and its effect on humanity.

"The nut of the problem is a general belief that a fault line exists between the social sciences and natural sciences," Wilson said Friday afternoon. On the contrary, he argued, "the line is not a fault line, not a 'Hadrian's Wall' (the wall that divided Roman occupied areas of Britain from 'barbaric and wild' Scotland). Instead, it is a broad domain of borderline disciplines that have yet to be explored fully." These "borderline" disciplines he described as cognitive neuroscience, behavioral genetics, evolutionary biology and environmental science. He added that these are matched in the social sciences by the areas of cognitive psychology and biological anthropology.

Throughout the 45-minute lecture, Wilson emphasized that human nature is proscribed by inherited genetic rules by which we live which determine our biases and fears in order for us to survive as a species. One herent behavior he discussed was that studies have shown people gravitate toward an environment which combines three features. "These studies," he said "show that people want to be on a height looking down, they prefer open, savannah-like plains, and attempt to be next to a body of water, even if it is not functional."

People also tend to choose an environment that is a retreat and has some sort of fruitful product he said. He said "People want to be in an environment in which our species evolved over the centuries," and asked "Why not? Is this such a strange idea?"

There was a varying level of student reaction to Wilson's often humorous lecture. Aaron Labaree, a college junior, said "It was interesting, but not very challenging or deep. I guess intuitively I agree with him but he didn't give me any other reason."

Others had a more positive reaction. College junior Nina Pulver said "I agreed with it, I've read some of his stuff before. I wish he had emphasized some of his biophilia idea more, but it was interesting."

Seth Koplowitz, a college senior, identified with Wilson's ideas, "I hadn't heard much about him in the past, judging from the others here I should have. I have done a lot of thinking in the past about the things he was talking about and agree completely. My courses have complemented much of what he talked about."

College senior Patrick Hughes was inspired by Wilson's lecture. He said, "This is where we're headed as far as knowledge is concerned and I think he is an excellent speaker. I will read more of his stuff."

Wilson also had an informal discussion with students on Friday afternoon.