Dr. Douglas Emlen “Extreme Weapons: A Natural History” Public Lecture

Dr. Douglas Emlen will present public lecture “Extreme Weapons: A Natural History” on November 18, 4:30 – 5:30 pm in Witherspoon Cinema (117 Witherspoon Student Center). A Q&A managed by Ken Johnson, will follow the presentation.

Abstract:

Every animal has a weapon of one sort or another, but the overwhelming majority of weapons stay small. Yet, sprinkled through the tree of life are species where weapons become extreme. Occasionally, human manufactured weapons also evolve to extremes. Emlen reveals that the same critical conditions trigger arms races in both cases, and the most crucial prerequisite is duels. A journey that begins with biology becomes the story of all weapons, as Emlen discusses beetles and battleships, crabs and the Cold War.

This talk tackles head-on several controversial topics such as costly state-of- the-art military technologies and the escalating tensions between the US and China (the next big duel?). It weaves the stories of military arms races with the stories of a menagerie of heavily-weaponed animal species. Ultimately, it is a
talk about the surprising relevance of basic “muddy boots” biology to pressing national security issues of our age, and the value of reaching outside of traditional disciplines to bring fresh perspectives to old questions.