Mark Moffett
About Mark Moffett
Speech topics
Lecture Topics
Conservation and the behavior of humans and other species don’t need to be presented as dry statistics and dismal news. Mark challenges himself to find ways to tell stories about the little-known in nature. Through his scientific knowledge and unique, first-hand experiences, he introduces a Universe of special creatures in smart, adrenaline-packed appearances.
Here are three of his lecture topics:
- Mark looks at societies across the animal kingdom, and in humans right up to the present day. How do those societies stay intact over the long haul, and what causes them to inevitably break down? How, for example, do we humans accommodate strangers in our societies, when most species cannot?
- Why modern humans are more like certain ants than we are like our nearest relatives, the chimpanzees. Why are comparisons of ants and humans valuable, and how do ants build societies more complex than we find for any other species in nature other than our own.
- A rainforest resembles a city, its architectural space providing accommodations for millions of residents. How are rainforests put together, and in what ways do their physical structures compare to that of other natural communities, from coral reefs to (believe it or not) the metropolises of bacteria thriving on our teeth?
Speaking videos
Books by Mark Moffett
“The Human Swarm: How Our Societies Arise, Thrive, and Fall” (2019)
The epic story and ultimate big history of how human society evolved from intimate chimp communities into the sprawling civilizations of a world-dominating speciesIf a chimpanzee ventures into the territory of a different group, it will almost certainly be killed. But a New Yorker can fly to Los Angeles--or Borneo--with very little fear. Psychologists have done little to explain this: for years, they have held that our biology puts a hard upper limit--about 150 people--on the size of our social groups. But human societies are in fact vastly larger. How do we manage--by and large--to get along with each other? In this paradigm-shattering book, biologist Mark W. Moffett draws on findings in psychology, sociology and anthropology to explain the social adaptations that bind societies. He explores how the tension between identity and anonymity defines how societies develop, function, and fail. Surpassing Guns, Germs, and Steel and Sapiens, The Human Swarm reveals how mankind created sprawling civilizations of unrivaled complexity--and what it will take to sustain them.
“Adventures Among Ants: A Global Safari with a Cast of Trillions” (2010)
“Face to Face with Frogs (Face to Face with Animals)” (2010)
“The High Frontier: Exploring the Tropical Rainforest Canopy” (1994)
At a glanceMark Moffett
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