The Darwin 2009 Project at the University of Oklahoma has assembled one of the best events in the world in honor of the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of publication of his “Origin of Species”. Activities will take place throughout 2009.
January 22, 2009
"Volcanology before Darwin: From burning mountains to Igneous Global Dynamics"
Ken Taylor, Professor Emeritus, Department of the History of Science, University of Oklahoma
Professor Taylor, long-time faculty member here at OU, has spent his career researching the history of geology. His latest publication is The Earth Sciences in the Enlightenment: Studies on the Early Development of Geology. Ashgate, 2007.
6 pm, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
January 29, 2009
“Darwin, Evolution and Design”
Allen Orr, University Professor, Rochester University
Note: Dr. Orr will be awarded the prestigious Darwin-Wallace Medal by the Council of the Linnean Society of London, the world's oldest active biological society. The medal, which is given only once every 50 years, will be awarded February 12, 2009, the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin.
His talk at OU will provide a survey, for a general audience, of the Darwinian revolution. It will also consider briefly the attacks on Darwinism from various forms of creationism and why evolutionary biologists conclude that these attacks are wrong. The talk will also consider what larger conclusions about the nature of the interaction between science and religion do and do not follow from this conflict.
A free public lecture organized by the University of Oklahoma Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program and sponsored by the Sutton Lecture Series on behalf of the Sutton Foundation, the Department of Zoology, Department of Botany and Microbiology, and Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.
7:30 pm, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
February 3, 2009
"Darwin's Emotions"
Paul White, Affiliated Scholar, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge
Dr. White is currently working on the Darwin Correspondence Project and is the author of Thomas Huxley, Making the "Man of Science".
6 pm, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
February 12, 2009
Darwin @ OU 2009 Opening Ceremony
"Was There a Darwinian Revolution?"
John M. Lynch, Honors Fellow Arizona State University Center for Biology and Society
The opening ceremony for the University of Oklahoma celebrations and commemorations of the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, and the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth. Hosted by the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, the opening address will be delivered by the historian and philosopher of science, John M. Lynch. For more information contact Helen DeBolt: htdebolt@ou.edu
7:00-9:30 pm, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
February 13, 2009
“Darwin across the Disciplines.”
A day-long series of round-table panel discussions by faculty from across the University of Oklahoma on the importance of Darwin and evolutionary theory to their disciplines. The morning session will feature expert speakers in the natural and physical sciences, afternoon sessions will feature experts in the humanities and social sciences. Speakers TBA soon. This, as with all Darwin 2009 events will be open to the public. This workshop is sponsored by the OU Honors College. For more information contact Rich Hamerla: rhamerla@ou.edu
All day, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
February 19, 2009
“Darwin's 'Abominable Mystery'”
Pamela Soltis, Curator, Florida Museum of Natural History
Flowers, and the fruits and seeds they produce, feed and beautify the world. The flowering plants sprang into the fossil record, suddenly and worldwide, much to Charles Darwin's frustration. Dr. Soltis tells of the discoveries that are shedding new light on Darwin's "abominable mystery".
A free public lecture organized by the University of Oklahoma Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program and sponsored by the Sutton Lecture Series on behalf of the Sutton Foundation, the Department of Zoology, Department of Botany and Microbiology, and Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.
7:30 pm, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
February 26, 2009
"Is Darwinism Past it's 'sell-by' date?"
Michael Ruse, Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor, Department of Philosophy, Florida State University
Ever since his Darwinian Revolution (1977), Michael Ruse has helped to shape the field of what has become known as the Darwin Industry. Ruse continues to publish prolifically on the history and philosophy of Darwinism, its reception, and its moral and religious implications. In view of the coming 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859) Ruse has co-edited the forthcoming Cambridge Companion to the Origin of Species
6 pm, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
March 4, 2009
"The Evolution of Antievolutionism"
Nick Matzke, University of California, Berkeley
'Intelligent design' and various modern antievolution strategies evolved from creationism. This talk will show how we know this, and why it is important to know where antievolutionism comes from. Matzke is formerly of the National Center for Science Education where he was a key source in formulating the plaintiff's case in the Dover ID trial. Sponsored by the Department of Zoology. For more information contact Rich Broughton: rbroughon@ou.edu
4:30 pm, George Lynn Cross Hall 123
March 6, 2009
“The purpose of purpose”
Richard Dawkins, Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science, Oxford University
Dawkins, the renowned evolutionary biologist, theorist and outspoken atheist, is author of The Selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, Climbing Mount Improbable, The God Delusion and many other books. This event will be a unique opportunity for students and the public alike to engage with one of the most talented and controversial figures in science today. Public lecture sponsored by the several OU departments, including Zoology and Religious Studies, as well as OESE. For more information contact Barry Weaver: bweaver@ou.edu
Time TBA, Catlett Music Center
March 12, 2009
"The Details Left to Chance." Evolutionary Contingency and its Broader Implications in the Work of Charles Darwin and Stephen Jay Gould
John Beatty, Department of Philosophy, University of British Columbia
Professor Beatty has written extensively on the idea of contingency in evolutionary biology (and in The Simpsons!). Among his other projects he is currenlty collaborating with Piers Hale on a book on Charles Kingsley and his very Darwinian fairy-tale Water Babies
March 24, 2009
“Ants: Nature's Secret Power”
Bert Hölldobler, Foundation Professor, Arizona State University
They have inhabited our planet for millions of years, and yet no living creature seems more alien to us. Award-winning cameraman Wolfgang Thaler and Dr. Bert Hölldobler, a leading ant authority, bring us face-to-face with the mysterious world of these social insects with this remarkable film. Special macro film technology introduces us into the fascinating world of ants as no film did before. Introduced by Dr. Hölldobler, with a question period following the movie.
A free public event organized by the University of Oklahoma Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program and sponsored by the Sutton Lecture Series on behalf of the Sutton Foundation, the Department of Zoology, Department of Botany and Microbiology, and Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.
7:30 pm, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
March 25, 2009
“Darwin and the Popularisers”
Bernard Lightman, Professor, York University
An expert in nineteenth-century science and culture, Professor Lightman will deliver a History of Science Colloquium lecture. Open to the public.
Time TBA. Harlow Room of the History of Science Collections, Bizzell Library, fifth floor, room 521. For more information contact Piers Hale: phale@ou.edu.
March 26, 2009
“Order in Chaos: Communication and Cooperation in Ant Societies”
Bert Hölldobler, Foundation Professor, Arizona State University
Ants are a remarkably successful because sister ants cooperate to perform feats impossible for individuals. The challenge has been to unlock the key to an ant colony's gift for mass communication. Dr. Hölldobler relates a lifetime of discoveries on the grammar of chemicals and rhythm that ants use to organize labor, plot war against other colonies, and negotiate truces.
A free public lecture organized by the University of Oklahoma Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program and sponsored by the Sutton Lecture Series on behalf of the Sutton Foundation, the Department of Zoology, Department of Botany and Microbiology, and Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.
7:30 pm, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
April 9, 2009
"Darwin's Secret? Was the theory of evolution really held back for twenty years?"
John van Wyhe, University of Cambridge
Dr. van Wyhe is founder and Director of the Darwin Online Project, Bye-Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge, affiliate of the Department of History & Philosophy of Science, Member of Council for the British Society for the History of Science and Director of its online Wheeler Library.
6 pm, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
April 16, 2009
"Darwin and Marx: Science as History and History as Science. Dialectical materialism and the dynamics of historical change"
Garland E. Allen, Professor, Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis
Garland Allen's research is in the history and philosophy of biology - particularly genetics, embryology, and evolution - and their interrelationships. Allen has published widely in the scientific, economic, and social history of "eugenics" (defined in the early part of the century as "the science of human improvement through better breeding"). The history of eugenics provides a number of insights into the interrelationships between science and its social context, and raises many issues of ethical, legal, and social importance that are surfacing today in the midst of the Human Genome Project.
6 pm, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
April 21, 2009
"A Monkey's Uncle: The 1925 Scopes Trial wasn't what you think!"
Joe Cain, Senior Lecturer, Department of Science and Technology Studies, University College London
Dr. Cain's current research interests include the history of evolutionary studies, history of American science, and history of natural history. Dr. Cain has won the Joseph H. Hazen Education Prize for 2007, awarded by the History of Science Society. This is one of the most important teaching awards in the discipline. Dr. Cain was awarded the Hazen Prize in recognition of his exemplary teaching and a long record of service to education in the profession.
6 pm, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
August 27, 2009
"Hopes, Fears, and Discontent in America: Four Decades of Anti-Evolutionism and Anti-Creationism"
Stephen Weldon, OU History of Science
Weldon explores the underlying concerns of activists engaged in debates over evolution and creationism from the 1960s to the present day. Why has this particular series of confrontations been so tenacious in America? What are the political and religious agendas that have driven different groups of people to get involved? The talk exposes some common myths and misconceptions embraced by partisans on both sides and concludes with some suggestions about possible ways to refocus the debates on more salient issues.
Free and open to the public.
7:00pm., Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Kerr Auditorium
September 15
"Charles Darwin: Exploring Galapagos and the Charles Darwin Foundation Today"
Lynn Fowler, Charles Darwin Foundation and Linbald Expedition, Galapagos
This talk will focus on Darwin's visit to the Galapagos archipelago, what he noticed there, and what he did not, and how his observations influenced his theory of evolution. Fowler will then outline the current situation in Galapagos and the role of the Charles Darwin Foundation as they strive to preserve these magical "Islas Encantadas" for the benefit of us all "
7:00 p.m., Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Kerr Auditorium
September 21
David Ross Boyd Lecture in Philosophy: "Darwin and Intelligent Design"
Elliott Sober, Hans Reichenbach Professor and William F. Vilas Research Professor at the University of Wisconsin - Madison
5:00 p.m., Dale Hall, Room 128, OU Norman Campus
September 23
David Ross Boyd Lecture in Philosophy: "Did Darwin write the Origin Backwards?"
Elliott Sober, Hans Reichenbach Professor and William F. Vilas Research Professor at the University of Wisconsin - Madison
5:00 p.m., Dale Hall, Room 128, OU Norman Campus
September 25
David Ross Boyd Lecture in Philosophy: "Darwin and Group Selection"
Elliott Sober, Hans Reichenbach Professor and William F. Vilas Research Professor at the University of Wisconsin - Madison
5:00 p.m., Dale Hall, Room 128, OU Norman Campus
September 29
Darwin Night at the Museum. The SNOMNH has organised a night at the Museum to remember in celebration of the life and work of Charles Darwin. The Museum galleries will be open until 11:00pm free of charge and the museums curator of invertebrate paleontology Dr. Stephen Westop will give a lecture on the evolutionary history of life on earth. An evening not to be missed!!! Darwin Night at the Museum: Dr. Stephen Westrop (Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology, SNOMNH) "The Cambrian Explosion and the Burgess Shale: No Dilema for Darwin." SNOMNH, Kerr Auditorium, 5:00pm. Free and open to the public. For more information see: http://news.snomnh.ou.edu/current/DarwinNight.htm
October 13
History of Science Colloquium Series:
Krishna Dronamraju (Foundation for Gentic Research, Houston)
"J.B.S. Haldane and the making of Darwinian genetics".
Nobel Prize nominnee, and student of the late J.B.S. Haldane, Krishna Dronamraju will talk about the life and work of the controversial and outspoken population geneticist.
Sam Kerr Auditorium, SNOMNH, 7:00pm
Free and open to the public
October 14:
Zoology Seminar Series:
Krishna Dronamraju (Foundation for Gentic Research, Houston)
"J.B.S. Haldane, Ernst Mayr, and Beanbag Genetics".
George Lynn Cross Hall 123, 4:30 p.m.
November 5, 2009
“Commemorating 150 years of the Origin of Species.”
Janet Browne, Aramont Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University
Professor Browne is one of the world's foremost experts on Darwin and will deliver a lecture as part of a celebration of the 150th anniversary of publication of his most famous work.
Great Hall, SNOMNH, 6:00 p.m.
November 11, 2009
"Genetic conflict within ourselves--and within other species."
Robert Trivers, Anthropology and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University
George Lynn Cross Hall, Room 123, 4:30 p.m.
Perhaps the most significant evolutonary theorist in the world alive today.
November 12,2009
"Deceit and self-deception"
Robert Trivers, Anthropology and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University
Kerr Auditorium, SNOMNH.
Free and open to the public.
Teachers' Evolution Workshop
Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education (OESE), in conjunction with the University of Oklahoma Biological Station (OUBS) and the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History (SNOMNH), is organizing a professional development workshop on Teaching Evolution in the 21st Century for Oklahoma high school science teachers and undergraduate and graduate students in science education. The workshop will be held on Saturday September 5, 2009 from 9:30AM to 5:30 PM at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in Norman, OK.
Cost per person (to cover text materials) will be $25. Deadline for registration and payment of fee will be August 1, 2009. Places are limited to 30 registrants.
Registration forms and payment information are on-line from: OESE
September 8
"Difficulties on Theory"
Piers J. Hale, OU, History of Science
Darwin anticipated that there might be many objections raised against his theory of evolution by Natural Selection. In this seminar we will read and discuss both Natural Selection as Darwin described it and his answers to some anticipated problems.
September 22
"Has Macroevolution Been Misunderestimated?"
Rich Broughton, Department of Zoology and Oklahoma Biological Survey
This seminar discussion will focus on the lack of a fundamental difference between micro- and macroevolution (as the terms are commonly used). It will use molecular data to examine the basis of taxonomic groups and explore examples of evolutionary divergence in nature
October 6
"Darwin's Different Flowers"
Dr. Phil Gibson, Department of Botany and Microbiology, Dept. of Zoology
While Darwin receives much attention for his work on animals, he was equally influential in the botanical world. This seminar will discuss Darwin’s book On the Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species in which he applies his model of evolution by Natural Selection to investigate why some plants produce two or more types of flowers.
October 27
"Race and Genetics in Health"
Dr. Cecil Lewis, Department of Anthropology
Are traditionally identified human "races" biologically meaningful? Are racial classifications useful in genetic disease research? This seminar discussion will address these questions. The practical importance of human evolution studies will be illuminated.
November 3
“The Origin of Sexual Selection”
Dr. Ingo Schlupp, Department of Zoology
Why do males often have elaborate traits that make them attractive for females, but are detrimental to survival? Why are females typically coy and males compete for females? Charles Darwin proposed the theory of Sexual Selection as an answer to these questions. In our meeting we shall discuss this idea, its history and some aspects of modern research on this topic.
November 17
"Beyond Darwin: How Evo-Devo Research Offers Stunning Confirmation of Darwin's View of Complexity "
Dr. Ola Fincke, Department of Zoology
Darwin postulated that complexity evolved via Natural Selection from less complex parts. Armed with a battery of new genetic tools, researchers are in the process of confirming that Darwin's view was of complexity was basically correct. In this session we will discuss the radical and surprising insights that Evo-Devo research offers for macroevolution.
October 10-January 18
"Darwin at the Museum" An exhibition at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
"Darwin at the Museum" is a unique exhibition for Darwin 2009, and a chance to see a rare and valuable collection of Darwin's life's work dedicated to exploring and explaining evolution presented in the context of specimens and artifacts that demonstrate the various elements of his theory. On display will be numerous artifacts and specimens from the collections of the Museum alongside a complete set of first editions of the printed works of Charles Darwin from the History of Science Collections of the University of Oklahoma Libraries.
Free and open to the public.
For more information contact Kerry Magruder: kmagruder@ou.edu
Spring Semester (January - April 2009): Presidential Dreamcourse: HSCI 2213 “The Darwinian Revolution.” Classes open to enrolled OU students. Evening lecture series hosted by Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and open to the public. Lectures at 6:00pm, or as listed. This class will introduce students to the history of evolution. The Darwinian Revolution was a revolution in culture as well as science, and students will consider the social political and the theological implications that have been drawn from Darwin's ideas, and learn about the development of evolutionary biology as a scientific discipline. Taught by Dr. Piers J. Hale of the Department of History of Science, this course will feature classes as well as evening lectures by some of the most distinguished scholars in the history of biology. Invited speakers include Ken Taylor (University of Oklahoma), Paul White (Darwin Correspondence Project, Cambridge University), John M. Lynch (Arizona State University), Michael Ruse (Florida State University), John van Wyhe (Darwin Online Project, Cambridge University), John Beatty (University of British Columbia), Garland Allen (Washington University in St. Louis), and Joe Cain (University College London). For more information: http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/H/Piers.J.Hale-1/Dar%20Rev/DarRevhome.html
Spring semester. Philosophy of Biology TR, 3:00-4:15 This course will be offered by Dr. James Hawthorne. What is the nature of Biological Organisms? How did they originate and how have they developed and changed over time. The theory of evolution by natural selection provides our best scientific answer to these questions. The class will investigate how evolutionary theory attempts to answer these questions, and consider the nature of the evidence for this theory. Along the way participants will examine the conceptual structure of evolutionary theory. In particular, alternative views regarding the units on which natural selection operates (genes, organisms, species?), the concept of biological fitness, and the concept of an adaptation will be discussed. Also considered, the implications of evolutionary biology for the nature of the human mind (evolutionary psychology) and for the structure of society (socio-biology). The grade for the course will depend on attendance and participation in classroom discussions, and on two writing assignments. The topics for these two papers will be announced well in advance of the due dates.
February 11th-15th : "Darwin" OSLEP Course. Hosted by the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Sponsored by OSLEP, open to enrolled students only. A five Day intensive course taught by the award winning scholar and teacher, Professor John M. Lynch (Arizona State University.) Organized by the Oklahoma Scholar-Leadership Enrichment Program (OSLEP) and hosted by the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. Contact Helen DeBolt htdebolt@ou.edu for questions. For more information see: http://www.ou.edu/oslep/seminars/08-09/lynch.html
Fall Semester : “Genetic Perspectives in Evolution.” A course to be taught by Cecil Lewis of the Anthropology Department.