Jellyfish on the Ceiling and Deer in the Den: The Biology of Interior Decoration

Few homes are without at least one or two representations of living things. The author argues that this penchant for organic decoration is related to what Edward O. Wilson calls "biophilia," an innate urge in humans to have contact with other species. As many people now live apart from the natural world, pictures, statues, dried flowers and other reminders of flora and fauna are ways of satisfying biophilic urges. The author contends that it is important to appreciate this manifestation of biophilia and to foster it as one dimension of the larger purpose of using biophilia to encourage efforts to preserve the living world in the broadest sense.