Pierre-Henri Gouyon

Biography

Pierre-Henri Gouyon is an agricultural engineer with a doctorate in ecology, genetics and science. He also trained in philosophy and the history of science. He is currently a professor at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, AgroParisTech, Sciences Po and the École normale supérieure (ENS). His research focuses on evolution, genetics, ecology, biodiversity and science-society relations. He gives lectures to a wide variety of audiences, and is a regular contributor to most media: newspapers, radio, television and the web. He has taken part in numerous governmental and other bodies, and chairs the scientific council of the Nicolas Hulot Foundation.

Conference: Does biodiversity change over time?

Whatever our religion, most of us heard of Adam and Eve before we heard of Darwin. Our mental structures are built on a fixed vision of a world in stable equilibrium. Yet the very fact of evolution tells us that no such equilibrium exists. Biodiversity must therefore be seen as a dynamic, not a state. What are the forces at work within this dynamic, and can we understand and act on the current collapse within this framework?