Octopi Hold Lessons for National Security

 

Ecologist and environmental policy analyst Rafe Sagarin (2002-03 Congressional Fellow sponsored by Geological Society of America) is a successful author and national speaker. He applies basic observations of nature to issues of broad societal concern including protecting public trust resources and improving responses to terrorism.

Sagarin was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in support of his work on Learning from the Octopus: How Secrets from Nature Can Help Us Fight Terrorism, Natural Disasters, and Disease. His book partly draws from his fellowship experience on Capitol Hill in the office of U.S. Representative Hilda Solis and describes what we can learn from organisms like the octopus to improve the nation’s security systems.

Today, he is a research scientist at the University of Arizona. In addition to many books, his interdisciplinary research has been published in numerous journals, newspapers, and popular magazines. An expert on adaptation, he has consulted for organizations including the Department of Defense, the Peace Corps, and large corporations and nonprofits on how to employ adaptability to improve performance.