This is the first meeting of a multi-session course.
What is intelligence? What differentiates humans from other animals? This course explores the evolution of cognition in humans and other species, and discusses how science investigates these questions. Why are humans such a unique species on earth--or are we? Why we are so good at solving some problems and yet fail so often at solving others? Research in evolutionary biology has a lot of answers to questions about why animals behave the way they do, and we will examine how this applies to our own lives. We will also touch on the underlying neurobiology, for example, on why is it that insects are so smart (using tools, navigating huge areas, using languages) when their brains are no bigger than a pinhead?
ANNA DORNHAUS is an Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, where she has been on the faculty since 2005. She completed her PhD in Germany at the University of Würzburg. Her research centers on understanding complex collective behaviors in social insects, such as how these organisms communicate, divide up tasks, and make decisions as a group. She has been a speaker in the UA School of Science’s public lecture series at Centennial Hall.
More information including course fees and how to register can be found online at http://hsp.arizona.edu
