Lorraine Daston

Lorraine Daston, Director Emerita at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, dives deep into the complex history of extinction. She discusses how our understanding is skewed by human timescales versus geological epochs. Daston critiques the use of the language of natural selection to justify violence, and she explores the political influences shaping conservation. The conversation also highlights the moral dilemmas of prioritizing species for preservation and the tensions between biodiversity and indigenous rights.