Title: Save the Sea Lion: Community Science in the Galápagos Archipelago
Lecturer: Michael Weisberg (Professor and Chair of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania)
Chairperson: ZHU Jing (Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, East China Normal University)
Date: 1 pm, October 12th, 2018 (Friday)
Venue: Room 5303, Building of School of Humanities, Minhang Campus, ECNU
Sponsor: Si-mian Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities, ECNU
Abstract of the Lecture:
Galapagueños, the full-time residents of the Galápagos Archipelago, are simultaneously the source of the greatest stress on the islands and potentially their most effective protectors. But there is a deep disconnect between their daily lives and the conservation priorities of the National Park. To help address this disconnect we have piloted a community science initiative based on San Cristóbal Island and focused on endangered Galápagos Sea Lions. The data from our pilot project shows that sea lions inhabiting areas of more intensive human use have altered behavior and social structure. Specifically, in more crowded areas the sea lions are both more crowded together and also less reactive to humans. Our pilot data also suggests that seven months of participation in a community science initiative increases topic-specific and general scientific knowledge, and increases motivation for environmental action. Conducting our pilot also suggests a number of central philosophical questions including epistemic and ethical ones. We argue that despite the real difficulties of conducting science in this manner, community science can be an excellent way to increase trust in the scientific community and the importance of conservation measures when carried out carefully.
Brief Introduction of the Lecturer:
Michael Weisberg is professor and chair of philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also co-director of the Penn Laboratory for Understanding Science and the Galápagos Education and Research Alliance. Michael Weisberg’s research focuses on the philosophy of science. Specifically, he is interested in the construction, development, and analysis of theories and models in computationally complex sciences such as population biology and chemistry. His other research concerns the nature of the chemical bond, the division of cognitive labor, and the psychological basis of the public understanding of science. He is the editor-in-chief of the journal Biology & Philosophy. Professor Weisberg is also a Distinguished Research Fellow of the Annenberg Center for Public Policy, a faculty affiliate of the Institute for Research in Cognitive Science and the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, and a member of the governing board of the Philosophy of Science Association.