alae Aad SCIENCE AND NATURE. a ce aA Paes a ee ee ll |The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2001 Edited and with an Introduction by Edward O. Wilson Burkhard Bilger, Series Editor on HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY BOSTON + NEW YORK 2001Copyright © 2001 by Houghton Mifflin Company Introduction copyright © 2001 by Edward O. Wilson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any infor- mation storage or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the copy- right owner unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. With the exception of nonprofit transcription in Braille, Houghton Mifflin is not authorized to grant permission for further uses of copyrighted selections reprinted in this book without the permission of their owners. Permission must be obtained from the individual copyright owners as indentified herein, Address requests for permission to make copies of Houghton Mifflin material to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003. ISSN 1590-1508 ISBN 0-618-08296-4 ISBN 0-618-15359-4 (pbk.) Printed in the United States of America Doc 10987654321 “Iterations of Immortality” by David Berlinski. First published in Harper’s Maga- zine. Copyright © 2000 by David Berlinski, Reprinted from The Advent of the Algo- rithm by permission of Harcourt, Inc. “To Save a Watering Hole” by Mark Cherrington, First published in Discover Copyright © 2000 by Mark Cherrington. Reprinted by permission of the author. “New Life in a Death Trap” by Edwin Dobb. First published in Discover Copyright © 2000 by Edwin Dobb. Reprinted by permission of the author. “Abortion and Brain Waves” by Gregg Easterbrook. First published in The New Republic. Copyright © 2000 by Gregg Easterbrook. Reprinted by permission of the author. “Baby Steps" by Malcolm Gladwell. First published in The New Yorker. Gopyright © 2000 by Malcolm Gladwell. Reprinted by permission of the author. “In the Forests of Gombe” by Jane Goodall. First published in Orion. Copyright © 2000 by Jane Goodall. Reprinted by permission of the author. For information con- tact www,janegoodall.org. “The Doubting Disease” by Jerome Groopman. First published in The New Yorker Copyright © 2000 by Jerome Groopman, Reprinted by permission of International creative Management, Inc. “The Recycled Generation” by Stephen S. Hall. First published in The New York Times Magazine. Copyright © 2000 by Stephen S. Hall. Reprinted by permission of the author. “Endurance Predator” by Bernd Heinrich. First published in Outside. Copyright © 2000 by Bernd Heinrich. Reprinted by permission of the author. “Harpy Eagles” by Edward Hoagland. First published in Orion. Copyright © 2000 by Edward Hoagland. Reprinted by permission of the author.