Communicating Science: Why be nice?

8 Feb 2011 – 6:00 pm - 7:40 pm

Why be nice? Understanding cooperative behaviour in humans and other animals - a ZSL Science and Conservation Event.

Babysitting meerkat Evolutionary theory predicts that individuals will behave selfishly. However, there are many examples of apparent altruism in nature. Meerkats help to raise others' offspring, primates groom one another and share food, and some insects even sacrifice themselves to protect their colony. Humans are among the most cooperative of all species. We willingly help individuals we do not know and are unlikely to ever meet again. Indeed, this tendency may explain our huge ecological success. However, our failure to cooperate is also responsible for several global problems, including climate change, freshwater depletion and overfishing. This meeting aims to elucidate common factors driving cooperation in humans and non-human animals. In doing so we may gain important insights into resolving these and other global cooperation problems.

Speakers:
Nigel R. Franks – Why are ants so successful? University of Bristol;
Andrew Young – Cooperation in bird and mammal societies: explanations and future
directions University of Exeter;
Redouan Bshary – Cooperative egoists Université de Neuchâtel, Switzerland; and
Simon Gächter – Understanding cooperation in humans: lessons from experimental
economics University of Nottingham

This event will be chaired by Stuart West, University of Oxford.

Organised by Nichola Raihani, Institute of Zoology, ZSL.

Why be nice_understanding cooperative behaviour_Abstracts (77 KB)

Please note that this event has already taken place.

This event in the 'Communicating Science' series will begin at 6.00pm (doors from 5.00pm) and talks are scheduled to finish at 7.30pm; admission is free and open to everyone (no advance booking or registration required). This event will be held in the ZSL Meeting Rooms and seats will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

A dinner with the speakers will follow this event and places must be booked in advance. Please download above dinner booking form for further information.

ZSL Science and Conservation Events: An essential part of ZSL's work is to communicate relevant, high-quality zoological and conservation science. The integrated ZSL Science and Conservation Events programme includes Symposia, and the new 'Wildlife Conservation' and 'Communicating Science' series. Topics cover a wide variety of zoological and conservation themes, and international experts present and discuss their research.

Further Information: please contact Megan Orpwood-Russell, Scientific Meetings Coordinator, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY.
Tel:+44 (0)20 7449 6227. Fax: +44 (0)20 7449 6411. E-mail: megan.orpwood-russell@zsl.org