With David George Haskell.
This event takes place at the British Library.
David George Haskell is professor of biology and environmental studies at the University of the South and author of the acclaimed recent Sounds Wild and Broken: Sonic Marvels, Evolution’s Creativity, and The Crisis Of Sensory Extinction. It explores the sounds of an entire planet, from crickets’ stridulation – one of the most ancient animal songs of all, dating back 270 million years – to birdsong and human music-making.
He joins us in person to discuss everything from rainforests that vibrate with insect sounds to swamps pulsing with frog calls. He shines a light on evolution’s creative powers – how species learn to adapt through calls, song and sound. He takes us to threatened forests, noise-filled oceans and raucous city streets to show how vital sonic diversity is to the survival of our planet. Ultimately he makes an appeal to connect to nature by listening.
Introduced by Cheryl Tipp, the British Library’s Curator of Wildlife & Environmental Sounds.
This event accompanies the British Library’s exhibition Animals: Art, Science and Sound.
