Media releases
TAKING THE STINK OUT OF INSTINCT: LOOKING AT ANIMALS, LESSONS FOR US ALL - 26 April 2007
Renowned British animal behavioural scientist Professor Sir Patrick Bateson is the key drawcard among a host of eminent national and international scientists in Canberra next week to speak at a public event that is a highpoint in the Australian science calendar - Science at the Shine Dome.
And the potentially deadly subject of obesity will be under the spotlight on day one of the event, when new Australian Academy of Science Fellow Professor Stephen Simpson outlines 'A tale of cannibal crickets and human obesity' by looking at locust-plague behaviour.
The annual three-day celebration of science and scientific research - which has attracted almost 350 science-professional delegates to Canberra - is organised by the Academy, the peak body representing the nation's leading scientists.
A highlight will be the symposium on the development and evolution of higher cognition in animals, which opens day three with Professor Bateson's intriguing look at cognition and instinct and continues with contributions from other prominent researchers on subjects such as 'The cognitive chicken', 'Do animals remember the past and plan for the future?' and 'Small brains, smart minds' - a look at honeybees.
The presentations are no dry-as-dust look at the animal kingdom: they also tell us much about humans and our place in the animal kingdom and have wider applications for human endeavour, including social development, communication and robotics.
Professor Bateson says that some so-called acts of cognition seem so spontaneous and rapid that they are deemed to be instinctive, which would be well and good were it not for the fact that 'instinct' has at least nine different meanings. He adds: 'The trouble is that evidence for one meaning doesn't necessarily imply evidence for another. As in the old joke, we need to take the stink out of instinct.'
Commenting on the scope of the three-day program, Academy President Professor Kurt Lambeck says: 'Science at the Shine Dome also features admission of new Fellows to the Academy - the pinnacle of achievement for Australian scientists - as well as the presentation of some of science's most prestigious awards, including the Matthew Flinders, Pawsey and Gottschalk Medals. The program also includes special career-development programs for young researchers and science teachers.'
Date: 2-4 May 2007
Venue: The Shine Dome, Gordon Street, Canberra
Notes for news editors
- For more detailed information on the conference, key speakers, including Professor Sir Patrick Bateson, go to: http://www.science.org.au/sats2007/index.htm
- A professional photographer will be covering the event if you need images
