(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007-10-02)
Goodisman, Michael
Social insects, including ants, bees, wasps, and termites, are "among the greatest achievements of evolution". They dominate terrestrial environments and make up a substantial part of the animal biomass. The tremendous success of social insects stems from their ability to effectively manage ecological problems through their complex social systems. In fact, the formation of the remarkable societies displayed by social insects represents one of the major transition points in evolutionary history. This talk provides an overview of the biology of social insects and the development and importance of social insect societies. Includes as discussion of the natural history of important social insects found locally, including fire ants and yellowjackets.
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007-03-27)
Alexander, Eleanor
George Washington, a slave owner, did not give a second thought to staffing
the President’s House with human chattel from his Virginia plantation.
Working in the Executive Mansion was better than working in the field, or even
as an ordinary house slave. But two ran away to freedom.
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007-02-27)
Dorn, Chris
The terrorist attack that killed more than 300 schoolchildren, teachers and parents in Russia shocked the conscience of the world in 2004. Clearly, there are lessons to be learned from this and other atrocities. However, there is a dangerous tendency to focus too much on past terrorism scenarios when deciding how to address future concerns for our schools. In addition, focusing too much on terrorism in emergency planning puts facilities in danger of over-stratification of their emergency response.
While it is always crucial that we examine previous events and learn from them, research by Safe Havens International shows that focusing on a scenario-driven approach is having a detrimental effect on many communities. Chris Dorn will share some of the practical findings from their research as they apply to the audience and discuss why a functional approach can lead to dual-use solutions with a more effective end result.