Biological Levers

bird colony

Organisms regulate their own behavior and internal states by means of numerous sensitive and interconnected control systems. These systems make organisms vulnerable to manipulation, but also give them the capacity for cooperative interaction. This project examines the crucial role played by mechanisms of regulation in the evolutionary processes leading to complex organization both within organisms and in ecological and social relationships among them. It will draw on the expertise of philosophers, biologists, and behavioural scientists.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS:

  • Gillian Barker (Rotman Institute of Philosophy; Western University)

  • Robert Batterman (University of Pittsburgh)

  • John Odling-Smee (Emeritus Research Fellow, Manfield College, University of Oxford)

  • Kyle Stanford (University of California at Irvine)

  • William Wimsatt (University of Chicago)

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