On Tuesday, September 19, the Loomis community warmly welcomed the Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Ed Yong to campus as he presented his latest work, An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us. The book was designated as Loomis’s all-school-read for the 2023-2024 school year.

Yong opened his speech by sharing the story of his dog, Typo, who often sniffs around when Yong walks it. As smelling is the primary way for animals like dogs to understand the world, Yong further explained how odor molecules spread into the dog’s sensory structures and provide them with abundant information. While humans are bound by the limitation of vision, smelling allows dogs to uncover a place’s past and present, explained Yong.

“Mr. Yong is an accomplished and award-winning science writer who has a rare ability to explain the most complicated of scientific issues in an engaging and understandable way,” Head of School Sheila Culbert said in her September 29th email to the Loomis community. As such, Yong introduced the concept of umwelt in a clear way — the physical environment perceived by animals. From sight, smell, and taste to sensing magnetic and electric fields, all animals perceive the environment differently.

The value of understanding animals’ umwelten goes beyond its scientific applications — it is the first step toward appreciating the diversity of the world, learning and acknowledging humans’ limits and biases, and marveling at the beauties of the world with humility rather than arrogance. Dr. Culbert further said, “if we move away from the simple stereotypes that we have about the creatures around us, we unlock a fascinating world.” Although it may be difficult to fully grasp the diversity of animals, there is always joy and meaning in such endeavors because they bring us closer to the environment we ultimately depend on.

Overall, Yong’s remarks aligned with Loomis’ efforts to celebrate diversity within the school, as well as Loomis’ climate-friendly initiatives. His convocation surely will help the Loomis community continue their constant efforts and commitments to both a more open community and a better environment.