Organized by The Citizen’s Laboratory (Amanda Eicher, Valerie Imus, Jerome Waag)

Southern Exposure and The Citizens’ Laboratory invite experts on systems of organization from both the human and animal worlds to discuss ways in which various methods of collaboration can inform us as groups and individuals, acknowledging the characteristics that make us particularly human. How to Move a Mountain takes place over three sessions, each including brief presentations by experts, group conversation, and a responsive interpretation by an artist.

#1: Thursday, January 24, 2013, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Presentation, discussion, and artwork by Dr. Deborah Gordon, Paul Chasan, and Kathleen Henderson, with bowls of warm stew

The first How to Move a Mountain event investigates the stakes involved in collective behavior. What are the processes at work in a community building its home, and what is potentially lost, won, or stabilized in the process? We'll convene around a pot of simmering stew with Dr. Deborah Gordon, Professor of Biology at Stanford University and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment, presenting her research into the behavior of ant colonies, and Paul Chasan, Planner with the City of San Francisco discussing how the city's landscape is shaped, followed by a light meal and a group conversation inspired by the work of artist Kathleen Henderson.

#2: Wednesday, February 27, 2013, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Addressing the themes of confrontation, swarming, encircling, and infiltration.

#3: Wednesday, April 24, 2013, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Discussing collaborations across species.