For the past 20 years Robert Saplosky, who is a prof at Stanford, has been spending about 25% of his time in Kenya study baboons to better understand the neurobiology of stress in human beings. Robert studies baboons because they have obsessions similar to their primate cousins, humans. They worry about their status in society; they worry about how to climb the ladder of baboon society. Some are more successful than others are. Once at the top they worry about who below them are hell bent on catching up. Some in the middle are quick to go duck & cover when things get weird with Shakespearean maneuverings. Basically, with a couple of sacks of beans, some darts for tranquilizing, blood samples, blood pressure and cholesterol measurements and almost ethnographic notations of the baboon troop maneuvering, this allowed Robert to study the effects of stress in a primate society very similar to the ones found in Palo Alto and at faculty meetings all across North America.

It also seemed pretty obvious to me that there is a lot of similarities between baboon troops, gangs and k-12 education these days. Lots of stress and lots of aggression so I sent Robert mail asking if I could ask him some questions via email. Just as I was about to send my questions I received a notice about Robert speaking at the Butler University science writer's series in Indianapolis, a mere hour drive from Bloomington so I decided to see Robert in action. Robert is an exceptional writer; he may be an even better public speaker. I don't think I have ever been at a science talk where the speaker gets a standing ovation and I'm wondering if they are going to start shouting, "Encore, encore, More." ... more ...