The Biology of Cooperation

Judith Bronstein
Spring 2022
Mondays |  
10 AM - 12 PM (AZ Time)
March 14, 21, and 28, and April 4 and 11, 2022
Course Format: Hybrid
Location: Main Campus
Tuition: $145

Attend In Person OR Online!
See Below for full details about our new Hybrid courses

Birds do it. Bees do it. Microbes do it, and people do it. Throughout nature organisms cooperate with each other. Humans have always been deeply attracted to the idea of cooperation–yet we regularly succumb to the temptation to cheat. Why cooperate when it is so easy to get what we want by cheating? We will examine this fundamental dilemma by looking at species other than our own, from microbes to mammals, both within and between species. Taking ecological and evolutionary approaches, we will explore the costs and benefits of cooperation, what stabilizes it, and what leads to its breakdown. Finally, we will consider how a deeper knowledge of natural systems might be used to design incentives to help cooperation thrive in our species.

NEW – Hybrid Course Format

  • All classes will be delivered both in person and online via live video streaming. Students will enroll in their preferred format during registration.
  • In person classes will be held in the Rubel Room at the University of Arizona’s Poetry Center (1508 E Helen St, Tucson, AZ 85721). Enrollment for in person classes is limited by classroom capacity and offered on a first come, first served basis. All students attending on campus will observe the relevant University of Arizona policies designed to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 (more information here). Students who enroll to attend in person will also have complete online access to the course including all class recordings.
  • Online students may attend all classes via live video streaming and will be able to participate in all course Q&A sessions with the professor in real time. Students may also access class recordings for a limited time to assist those who may not be able to attend the live class times. Online access will be password protected and only available to enrolled students.

Registration Will Open Online:
Monday, November 22, 2021 at 8 AM (AZ Time)

Required Reading
  • No textbook is required. All readings will be distributed to students electronically.
  • One to three readings (posted as PDFs) and some video clips will be provided in advance of each class. It is not necessary to have gone through this material in order to understand the lectures.

Meet Your Instructor

University Distinguished Professor

JUDITH BRONSTEIN is a University Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Her research focuses on the biology of mutualism, or mutually beneficial interactions between species. She has studied the ecology and conservation of pollination in habitats ranging from North American deserts to Central American cloud forests, as well as through mathematical modeling.

Location

POETRY CENTER
Dorothy Rubel Room
1508 E Helen
Tucson, AZ 85721
United States

Located on the SE corner of Helen Street and Vine Avenue, one block north of Speedway and three blocks west of Campbell Ave.

Street map image of Poetry Center

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