Live like a sloth, think like an octopus
Lessons from nature’s greatest survivors
Room: Paris Nord
Date: Wednesday, 17 Sep, 17:45 – 19:00 CEST
In this fascinating talk the best-selling author, broadcaster and zoologist Lucy Cooke exposes how unconscious bias has shaped our understanding of the natural world.
Think sloths are just lazy? Lucy explains how they are, in fact, icons of sustainability.
Discover the soft, nurturing side of the silverback gorilla as Lucy dismantles the myth of the alpha male. Learn how female animals were mistakenly branded as passive and coy by Victorian scientists, when in fact they can be just as dominant and competitive as males. And discover how curiosity and playfulness rewarded a humble mollusc, the octopus, with 9 brains and the intelligence of a primate.
We may be living in extraordinarily uncertain times, but Nature holds all the answers. In this talk, featuring gorgeous photos and video along with insightful personal anecdotes from the field, Lucy introduces some of nature’s greatest survivors, beyond the bias.
About the speaker:
Lucy Cooke
Hastings,
United Kingdom
Lucy Cooke is a New York Times best-selling author, National Geographic explorer, TED talker and award-winning documentary producer and presenter with a Masters in zoology from New College Oxford, where she studied evolution and animal behaviour under Richard Dawkins. Lucy has written, produced and presented award-winning documentaries for BBC, PBS, National Geographic, Animal Planet and Discovery. She is the best-selling author of 4 books, translated into 22 languages. Her latest, Bitch: On the Female of the Species, was published in 2022 to widespread critical acclaim and is currently being developed for international television. Bitch has also been placed on the syllabus of countless international universities including Harvard, Princeton, Chicago, Stockholm, Oxford and Cambridge. She is a sought-after public speak who delivers entertaining talks, with gorgeous visuals, based on her research and wild encounters.
“Lucy is a rare combination of smarts, savvy, and good humour. She presents scientific knowledge in a way that engages, informs, and even entertains.”
Pat Mitchell, Curator of TED Women
The plenary lecture will be followed by a networking reception to celebrate the start of the EADV Congress 2025.