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E.O. Wilson is one of my heroes and not just because I like ants. He is inspiring to me and makes me want to contribute something greater to the world because – his work, his challenges and his love of the work itself - coalesced and became something far greater then the person E.O. Wilson, something even more extradordinary, it became a direction for humanity. His message is found in his books, his talks and media on the internet and his voice through these mediums simply remind us not only of who and what we are but of our impact on the fragile eco systems that exist in this place – our home – the earth.
The worst thing that can happen during the 1980s is not energy depletion, economic collapse, limited nuclear war, or conquest by a totalitarian government. As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired within a few generations. The one process ongoing in the 1980s that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly that our descendents are least likely to forgive us. – E.O. Wilson
E.O. Wilson - Photo by: Sage Ross
Quick facts:
- He has published over 400 papers.
- He has discovered 344 of 600 known types of ants in the genus fidole or phidole (fidole comprises 20% of all ant species in the western hemisphere.)
- Created controversy with the publication of his first book which speaks of the genetic influence of behaviour of all species including humans. Sociologists were extremely upset by his inclusion of humans in the final chapter of this book and considered it a heritical statement since this idea where nature and genetics determined behavious was opposed to theories of human development social systems that focused on nurture only…
- He is responsible for the creation of a single access system (EOL) The Encyclopedia of Life.
The Encyclopedia of Life is a portal where everything we know would be collected and stored EVERYTHING about the 1,8 million known species on earth. Harvard University and The Smithsonian have been working on this. YOU can participate in this project or access information here.
Here is a link to an informative slideshow that EO Wilson presented before the US Senate in 1998 about the importance of saving the forests. The first page is a text introduction and the slideshow is not automated but this link will bring you to the initial slide which you can then page through at the bottom.
You can read more about EO Wilson at the following links…
TED Talks Info page on EO Wilson
EO Wilson Wikipedia General Information Page
Wikimedia EO Wilson Quotes Page – He is a wise man, read some quotes here.
Download the audio file of his Ted Talk Here or Listen Here
I don’t think that he would be offended by my comparison of him to an ant. So how the heck can I say he is like an ant? Well, ants have 2 jaws – 1 to eat with and the other to carry food back to the nest. Like his beloved research subjects, EO Wilson provided nourishment to himself through his work and he too carried back food for thought to the biggest known nest of humans who occupy this place that we call earth.
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