From Plant Press, Vol. 3, No. 2, April 2000.
The 51st Annual Meeting of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) was held on 22 - 24 March at the National Museum of Natural History. This meeting celebrated "Biology: Challenges for the New Millennium" with some of the most preeminent scientists reviewing the major advances in organismal and integrative biology made during the last century. The meeting highlighted major discoveries in biology and attempted to capture a perspective on the coming millennium's challenges and opportunities, including the breakthroughs necessary to continue to advance biology. The opening session included an introduction and talk by Ernst Mayr, who received the 2000 AIBS Distinguished Service Award for recognition of his outstanding contribution to the advancement and integration of biological disciplines.
Other speakers included Stephen J. Gould, Daniel H. Janzen, Gene E. Likens, Lynn Margulis, Gordon Orians, Ghillean Prance, Marvalee Wake, and Edward O. Wilson. Events included plenaries, poster sessions and synthesis groups. At the synthesis groups, group leaders and meeting attendees discussed past advances and future challenges in the fields of behavior, biodiversity and conservation, development and morphology, ecosystems, evolution, integration, regulation, and systematics. In collaboration with the National Association of Biology Teachers, a "Town Meeting on Teaching Evolution" was also held, focusing on methods to teach high school and undergraduate college students about evolution and the nature of scientific inquiry.
The planning committee of the event consisted of 12 members from AIBS and the Smithsonian Institution, including W. John Kress. Many of the presentations will be published along with additional invited chapters in the forthcoming book, "A New Century of Biology," co-edited by W. John Kress and Gary Barrett. The Smithsonian Institution Press will publish the book, tentatively scheduled for publication in early 2001. For additional comments on the meeting, see "Chair with a View."
Comments