The Social Conquest of Earth | Edward O. Wilson

Seminar and Conversation with Edward O. Wilson and Stewart Brand, with an introduction by Rob Semper, Executive Associate Director of the Exploratorium.
Presented by The Long Now Foundation and the Exploratorium.
Edward O. Wilson has revolutionized science and inspired the public more often than any other living biologist. Now he is blending his pioneer work on ants with a new perspective on human development to propose a radical reframing of how evolution works.
First the social insects ruled, from 60 million years ago. Then a species of social mammals took over, from 10 thousand years ago. Both sets of “eusocial” animals mastered the supremely delicate art of encouraging altruism, so that individuals in the groups would act as if they value the goal of the group over their own goals. They would specialize for the group and die for the group. In recent decades the idea of “kin selection” seemed to explain how such an astonishing phenomenon could evolve. Wilson replaces kin selection with “multi-level selection,” which incorporates "both" individual selection (long well understood) and group selection (long considered taboo). Every human and every human society has to learn how to manage adroitly the perpetual ambiguity and conflict between individual needs and group needs. What I need is never the same as what we need.
E. O. Wilson’s current book is "The Social Conquest of Earth". His previous works include "The Superorganism"; "The Future of Life"; "Consilience"; "Biophilia"; "Sociobiology"; and "The Insect Societies".
"The Social Conquest of Earth" was given on April 20, 02012 as part of Long Now's Seminar series. The series was started in 02003 to build a compelling body of ideas about long-term thinking from some of the world's leading thinkers. The Seminars take place in San Francisco and are curated and hosted by Stewart Brand. To follow the talks, you can:
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[@timbeckley740]

Wilson's a class act. So much explanatory power to the multilevel selection theory.

[@stephenarmiger8343]

Scrolling through my KZbin suggested videos by E O Wilson, I noticed one at Cal Tech where he recommends devoting half the world to wildlife.

[@libraryofpangea7018]

As a permaculturalist I would have loved to have gotten to talk with him. We use biodiversity as a fundamental principle for the interface of agriculture & naturally occurring biological systems. The Rewilding movment is also heavily advocated for in the Permaculture community.

[@teviottilehurst]

Where has this guy been hiding? Great lecture. Just heard he has passed. A new fan from 🇬🇧. He was nicknamed Darwin 's heir.

[@TheMargarita1948]

Hiding? He has been one of the most famous scientists on earth since the 1970s.

[@cmiksee1932]

What a great talk and Q&A.

[@mlsunmeier1907]

wonderful lecture! he explained really so well and logically. thank you.

[@AudioPervert1]

So good to hear this lecture. Something New to Learn from outside mainstream science and technology worship (which is 95% of environment and energy based institutions).

[@dallasboringnews7157]

Very interesting! 10/10

[@dennismof]

Wow! Great!⭕️🥰

[@MikeStoneJapan]

love this man... pause

[@damienflinter4585]

Reading the book on hearing his obituary prompted me to google him...what a treat.

[@intelligenzacollettiva]

Thank !!!!

[@mndrix]

Wilson's remarks begin at 1:45

[@nicholastaylor9398]

"Worker do not have a father". I was once visited by a clone of 4-5 common wasps (yellowjackets) from a nearby nest. All had similar markings. They kept coming for a month. Then as I perceived it, they were replaced by another group of 4, with slightly different markings and behaviour. This could be explained by the queen having mated with several males, facilitated by their habit of gathering at communal 'lek' like a hilltop or prominent tree.

[@grizzlymartin1]

What were the types of questions those Vanuatuans were asking you I wonder? I can scarcely imagine. But do non-the-less.

[@kevinklearman]

12:29 I heard those things live underground man

[@davibrunelli3492]

Legends in brazillian portuguese, please

[@TheMargarita1948]

Please share your data.

[@BlueGnome42]

RIP

[@StressRUs]

Ironically, "eusociality" is a misnomer, as our ancestors were long evolved as clan/band living Hunter-Gatherers and never exceeded the iconic Dunbar Number of 150 due to the limitations of the natural resources to sustain a bigger group. This lifeway was escaped by sedentary agriculture which produced the first surpluses and drove the now wide spread dissociation of our massive groups from a sustainable natural resource supply. Thus, our unsustainable overshot population producing our current existential predicament. Stress R Us

[@maseroti]

Ups...1h before Ive played that video first Ive seen video from 2002 so Ive decided to make a comment my point of my vue my bright vision how I see our nation, than next in que Ive play this conquest and all what Ive made in my comment is here already plus more. Pleasure to listen THANK YOU FOR BE. And share rathen than hiding... Like I mansion before, You are one of my nominated person to lead the world nation

[@fergal2424]

why the comic sans D:

[@StressRUs]

All of us humans on earth today are more "kin" than any other mammal except the blind mole rat, 99.9%. This is the result of inbreeding during population collapses after volcanic eruptions 73.5kya and 43.5kya in Sumatra and Italy, when our ancestors were reduced in number to as few as 2,000. Stress R Us

[@hansschmidt1961]

The arrogance of evolutionary materialists like Wilson is astounding.

[@stephenarmiger8343]

Noticing . At the point when the two gentlemen are sitting with a table between them there are two plastic bottles of water.

[@annebradley6086]

Science is a culture and they are so hell-bent on selling a certain idea - THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS. My impression of this video so far - this is predicted programming. FACT: We are DESIGNS BY INTELLIGENCE.