Evolution Before, During and After Darwin

  • Details

  • 11/03/22
  • 8:45 - 11:30 a.m.
  • $10 – $15
  • All Ages
  • Categories

  • Speaker

Event Description

Long before Charles Darwin, many philosophers sought to explain the origins of life and the development of species. From Lucretius in the first century BCE to Lamarck during the French Revolution, these initial discussions were often forgotten or suppressed. By 1859 when Darwin published On the Origin of Species, most had forgotten the advances of earlier generations. This special three-week forum, led jointly by Assistant Professor of Biology Daniel Hughes and Professor Emeritus of Biology Floyd Sandford, will explore the study of evolutionary biology past and present and the life and work of Charles Darwin, the field’s most well-known scholar. During week one, Hughes will survey the debates, thinkers and evidence that made up the field of evolutionary biology before 1859. The second session, co-presented by Hughes and Sandford, will examine Darwin’s life and unsurpassed contributions to the field of evolution and science generally; why the world knows Darwin’s name but not those of others who contributed to the field; and how the study of evolution developed after 1859. The final session will feature a performance of Sandford’s nationally recognized one-man play “Darwin Remembers” as well as a discussion of the performance and societal responses to evolution.

Thursday Forum is held in Kesler Auditorium on the first floor of Hickok Hall. Each weekly session begins with registration and refreshments from 8:45-9:15 AM, followed by the lecture until 11:30 AM. The presentations blend lecture, media such as film and music, and discussion.

Admission to each four-week forum series is $40. Admission to individual lectures and each session of two- and three-week forums is $12 per week. Admission includes the lecture and morning refreshments of coffee, tea and pastries. Payment can be made in person on Thursday mornings by cash or personal check. Credit card payments can be processed by registering online in advance at www.coe.edu/thursday-forum.