A Humble Insect, the Quest for Knowledge, and Our Unnatural Future

“The proper study of mankind is man,” Alexander Pope famously wrote in 1733. But award-winning journalist Lisa Margonelli’s new book, “Underbug: An Obsessive Tale of Termites and Technology,” tells us that the proper study of mankind might very well be termites.

On its face, “Underbug” is a marvelously engaging work of science journalism that shows how termites have captured the imagination and efforts of scientists and engineers in fields as diverse as genomics, ecosystem restoration, energy production and robotics. But in telling this tale of what science is learning about termites, Margonelli is really pursuing deeper questions about science and humanity itself to ask, “How do we know what we know?” and even “How do we know who we are?” “Underbug” is a wise, funny, disquieting and hopeful portrayal of how humanity’s quest for knowledge about the world around us is also a mirror on our inner selves.

Join Lisa Margonelli and National Public Radio science reporter Richard Harris in a discussion of “Underbug,” followed by a book signing. Books will be available for purchase.

Kimberly Quach

Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes

kimberly.quach@asu.edu

https://cspo.org/