Symmetry is all around us. We find symmetrical faces attractive, and we build symmetrical things, like planes, trains, and automobiles. But while some things are symmetrical on the outside (e.g., human body), they aren’t symmetrical on the inside (e.g., internal organs). Weirder yet, will we find symmetry in the nests built and stockpiled by thousands of independent honey bees? Come find out, and see how deep the rabbit hole goes!
Note from the Speaker: "PS. This might sound like it's going to be overly academic, but I promise, it's not! (or, at least I hope not...)"
Michael L. Smith is Assistant Professor at Auburn University and an Affiliated Scientist of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. He first began beekeeping in high school, while attending Atlantic College, in Wales. He completed his undergraduate degree at Princeton University in the Department of Molecular Biology (Rose Lab) and his PhD at Cornell University in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior (Seeley Lab). His postdoctoral research was supported by the Simons Foundation, which he conducted in the Department of Collective Behavior (Couzin Lab) at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior/University of Konstanz, Germany. His lab is interested in the social physiology of superorganisms, using the honey bee as a model system. The lab currently works on nest architecture, collective behavior, and spatial organization of the extended phenotype.
Date: Friday, February 6, 2026
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Pine Jog Environmental Education Center
Free for Members | $10 for Guests
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