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Arts & Culture

E.O. Wilson - Of Ants And Men

E.O. Wilson sitting in front of anthill, Gorongosa, Mozambique.
Courtesy of Lentsoe Mamatela
E.O. Wilson sitting in front of anthill, Gorongosa, Mozambique.

Airs Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV

A portrait of one of the greatest scientific thinkers of our time, "E.O. Wilson – Of Ants And Men" premieres Wednesday, September 30, 2015 on PBS. The two-hour film explores the life and times—and the revolutionary ideas—of Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist E.O. Wilson, the founder of the scientific discipline of sociobiology and a world authority on insects and human nature.

E.O. Wilson with Fernando Bebe Ussene, Gorongosa, Mozambique.
Courtesy of Lentsoe Mamatela
E.O. Wilson with Fernando Bebe Ussene, Gorongosa, Mozambique.
E.O. Wilson in classroom with students, Gorongosa, Mozambique.
Courtesy of Lentsoe Mamatela
E.O. Wilson in classroom with students, Gorongosa, Mozambique.
E.O. Wilson wide shot from behind, sitting in front of gorge in Gorongosa, Mozambique.
Courtesy of Lentsoe Mamatela
E.O. Wilson wide shot from behind, sitting in front of gorge in Gorongosa, Mozambique.

E.O. Wilson’s life-long passion for insects and the natural world led him from his Alabama childhood to become one of the world’s foremost experts on ants, which led him to study human nature. Sparked by his observations of ant and other insect communities, Wilson has made groundbreaking contributions to human evolutionary theory and population dynamics.

His 1967 book—His 1967 book—"The Theory of Island Biogeography," co-written with mathematician Robert MacArthur—is widely considered the definitive treatise on conservation biology. Wilson’s greatest contribution may be to the study of social behavior in the animal world. His 1975 book "Sociobiology" created one of the greatest academic controversies of the late 20th century by revolutionizing contemporary thought about animal societies, including that of humans.

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"E.O. Wilson – Of Ants And Men" inspires viewers with Wilson’s revolutionary thinking and joyful exploration of the natural world, painting an engaging portrait of an extraordinary man often called “a Darwin for the modern day.”

Through engaging interviews and investigations around the globe, the film brings together three great themes of Wilson’s life and work: the wonder of nature; the evolution of human social behavior; and humanity’s need to come to terms with our place in the natural world.

"E.O. Wilson – Of Ants And Men" was produced by Shining Red Productions, Inc.