▁the ▁early ▁scient ists ▁who ▁recogn ised ▁the ▁significance ▁of ▁human ▁over pop ulation . ▁The ▁number ▁one ▁dead ly ▁sin ▁of ▁civil ized ▁man ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁is ▁over pop ulation , ▁which ▁is ▁what ▁leads ▁to ▁ag gression . ▁ ▁Philosoph ical ▁spec ulations ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁book ▁Be hind ▁the ▁Mir ror : ▁A ▁Search ▁for ▁a ▁Natural ▁History ▁of ▁Human ▁Know ledge , ▁Lor enz ▁cons iders ▁the ▁old ▁philosoph ical ▁question ▁of ▁whether ▁our ▁sens es ▁correctly ▁inform ▁us ▁about ▁the ▁world ▁as ▁it ▁is , ▁or ▁provide ▁us ▁only ▁with ▁an ▁ill usion . ▁His ▁answer ▁comes ▁from ▁evolution ary ▁bi ology . ▁Only ▁tra its ▁that ▁help ▁us ▁surv ive ▁and ▁reproduce ▁are ▁transm itted . ▁If ▁our ▁sens es ▁gave ▁us ▁wrong ▁information ▁about ▁our ▁environment , ▁we ▁would ▁soon ▁be ▁ext inct . ▁Therefore , ▁we ▁can ▁be ▁sure ▁that ▁our ▁sens es ▁give ▁us ▁correct ▁information , ▁for ▁otherwise ▁we ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁here ▁to ▁be ▁dece ived . ▁ ▁Hon ours ▁and ▁awards ▁▁ ▁Aust rian ▁Dec oration ▁for ▁Science ▁and ▁Art ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁ ▁Elect ed ▁a ▁Foreign ▁Member ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ▁( For Mem RS ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁ ▁Kal ing a ▁Prize ▁for ▁the ▁Popular ization ▁of ▁Science ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁ ▁Gold ▁Medal ▁of ▁the ▁H umb old t ▁Society ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁ ▁Nobel ▁Prize ▁in ▁Phys