Thomas Seeley: ‘Honeybee Democracy’

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Honeybees make decisions collectively—and democratically: Every year, their life-or-death relocation process relies on collective fact-finding, vigorous debate, and consensus-building. For us humans, of course, the big debates come every two or four years. Just in time for the latest round of debate, Cornell biology professor and beekeeper Thomas Seeley, author of Honeybee Democracy, returns to Town Hall after a popular November 2010 appearance. This encore talk looks at just what these bees could teach us: collective wisdom and effective decision-making, the importance of debate, seeking diverse solutions, and minimizing a leader’s influence. Presented as part of Seattle Science Lectures with University Book Store, and the Puget Sound Beekeepers Association. Series sponsored by Microsoft. Series media sponsorship provided by KPLU.

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