A Great Observer: E.o. Wilson

[Guest username]

E.O. Wilson is the world greatest expert on ants. As a child, he suffered from blindness in one eye, limiting his stereoscopic vision. However, he had 20/10 vision in one eye and consequently, had developed a greater interest in the world of small things.  Through careful observation, Wilson has made such contributions that he's been granted the status "father of sociobiology" and "father of biodiversity". 

A documentary on him

His Wikipedia page

Here are some excerpts from his Wikipedia page that I found interesting:

Quote

In the same year that his parents divorced, Wilson blinded himself in one eye in a fishing accident. He suffered for hours, but he continued fishing.[10] He did not complain because he was anxious to stay outdoors. He did not seek medical treatment.[10] Several months later, his right pupil clouded over with a cataract.[10] He was admitted to Pensacola Hospital to have the lens removed.[10] Wilson writes, in his autobiography, that the "surgery was a terrifying [19th] century ordeal".[10] Wilson was left with full sight in his left eye, with a vision of 20/10.[10] The 20/10 vision prompted him to focus on "little things": "I noticed butterflies and ants more than other kids did, and took an interest in them automatically."[11]

Although he had lost his stereoscopic vision, he could still see fine print and the hairs on the bodies of small insects.[10] His reduced ability to observe mammals and birds led him to concentrate on insects.

At nine, Wilson undertook his first expeditions at the Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC. He began to collect insects and he gained a passion for butterflies. He would capture them using nets made with brooms, coat hangers, and cheesecloth bags.[10] Going on these expeditions led to Wilson's fascination with ants. He describes in his autobiography how one day he pulled the bark of a rotting tree away and discovered citronella ants underneath.[10] The worker ants he found were "short, fat, brilliant yellow, and emitted a strong lemony odor".[10] Wilson said the event left a "vivid and lasting impression on [him]".[10] 

 

List of his honors and achievements (also from Wikipedia):

Quote

Wilson's scientific and conservation honors include:

Member, National Academy of Sciences, 1969

U.S. National Medal of Science, 1976

Leidy Award, 1979, from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia[55]

Pulitzer Prize for On Human Nature, 1979 [56]

Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, 1984

ECI Prize, International Ecology Institute, terrestrial ecology, 1987

Honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Mathematics and Science at Uppsala University, Sweden, 1987[57]

Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award, 1988

Crafoord Prize, 1990, a prize awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences [58]

Pulitzer Prize for The Ants (with Bert Hölldobler), 1991

International Prize for Biology, 1993

Carl Sagan Award for Public Understanding of Science, 1994

The National Audubon Society's Audubon Medal, 1995

Time Magazine's 25 Most Influential People in America, 1995

Benjamin Franklin Medal for Distinguished Achievement in the Sciences of the American Philosophical Society, 1998.[59]

American Humanist Association's 1999 Humanist of the Year

Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science, 2000

Nierenberg Prize, 2001

Distinguished Eagle Scout Award 2004

Dauphin Island Sea Lab christened its newest research vessel the R/V E.O. Wilson in 2005.

Linnean Tercentenary Silver Medal, 2006

Addison Emery Verrill Medal from the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 2007

TED Prize 2007[60] given yearly to honor a maximum of three individuals who have shown that they can, in some way, positively impact life on this planet.

XIX Premi Internacional Catalunya 2007[61]

Member of the World Knowledge Dialogue[62] Honorary Board, and Scientist in Residence for the 2008 symposium organized in Crans-Montana (Switzerland).

Distinguished Lecturer, University of Iowa, 2008–2009

E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center[63] on Nokuse Plantation in Walton County, Florida 2009 video[64]

Explorers Club Medal, 2009

2010 BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Ecology and Conservation Biology Category[65]

Thomas Jefferson Medal in Architecture, 2010

2010 Heartland Prize for fiction for his first novel Anthill: A Novel[66]

EarthSky Science Communicator of the Year, 2010

 

 

Edited October 9, 2017 by username

[Sri Ramana Maharshi]

E.O. WIlson also popularized the idea that all Magesteria would tunnel into each other to eventually be understood holistically as a unity at some point in human history...at least I am pretty sure that is the case if memory does serve. 

Edited October 9, 2017 by Sri Ramana Maharshi
Grammar

[SFRL]

Very interesting