Edward O. Wilson
Biographical Information
Edward O. Wilson is Pellegrino Research Professor in Entomology, Harvard University,
Cambridge, USA. Edward O. Wilson’s career began with the study of the social behavior
of ant populations. He demonstrated that certain aspects of ant behavior could be triggered
by chemical signals, showing that their behavior was programmed, not learned. He
applied these ideas to study the behavior of other animals, including man, concluding that
our genes and our environment intertwine to make us what we are. He has been lauded as
one of the founders of the modern environmental movement and is a passionate defender
of the need for our human society to seek out means of sustainable interaction with Planet
Earth, the only home we have. He has long argued that as human beings multiply and
use the Earth’s resources to fuel the hedonistic lifestyle practiced by the industrialized
countries, the planet’s ecosystem is increasingly threatened. Professor Wilson’s recent publications
make a compelling case that mankind must act rapidly to preserve the Earth’s
biodiversity for our descendents. Credited with first bringing the concept of biodiversity to mass public attention in 1988, almost 20 years later he continues to encourage society
to respond with a greater sense of urgency to the irrefutable evidence that the diversity
of life on Earth is in rapid decline. Professor Wilson’s many contributions to science have
received international recognition. He has received 27 honorary doctoral degrees and
more than 70 awards, including the U.S medal of Science (1976), The German Terrestrial
Ecology Prize (1987), the French Prix du Institut de la Vie (1990), the Crafoord Prize
from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (1990), the Japanese International Prize for
Biology (1993), the Franklin Medal of the American Philosophical Society (1999), and the
King Faisal International Prize for Science (2000). His conservation work has also been
recognized through the award of the Gold medal of the World Wide Fund for Nature and
the Audubon Medal of the Audubon Society. His books have also been widely acclaimed
and he has twice been awarded the Pulitzer Prize. |
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