Darwin and Evolution talks in North Carolina

I get e-mails about such events, so I thought I'd share, so you can attend some of these talks if you want:

NCSE's executive director Eugenie C. Scott will be speaking twice in North Carolina shortly.

First, at 7:00 p.m. on January 27, she will be speaking on "Darwin's Legacy in Science and Society" in the Wright Auditorium on the East Carolina University campus in Greenville. "Charles Darwin's publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859 was an extraordinary milestone for science, but it also had profound effects on theology, philosophy, literature, and society in general. Nowhere is this more true than in the United States, where the teaching of evolution has been contentious since the early part of the 20th century. Why have Darwin's ideas been so valuable -- and yet so controversial? The answers lie not in science, but in history and culture." Admission is $10; free to ECU faculty, staff, and students. For further details, visit:
http://www.ecu.edu/voyages/

Second, at 7:30 p.m. on January 29, she will be speaking on "Why Evolution Is Taught in North Carolina Schools" in the Burney Center on the University of North Carolina, Wilmington campus. "The North Carolina science education standards have received high marks from national evaluators. They require the teaching of what scientists and teachers consider important for students to learn, including evolution. Why do scientists and teachers feel so strongly that evolution should be part of the curriculum? And why do some parents object to their children learning it?" Admission is free and open to the public. For further details, visit:
http://library.uncw.edu/web/outreach/evolution/events.html

Edward J. Larson will be speaking on "The Scopes Trial in History and the Theatre" at 8:00 p.m. on January 22, 2009, in the Farthing Auditorium on the Appalachian State University campus Boone; the event is free and open to the public, so please spread the word!

A professor of law at Pepperdine University, Lawson wrote Summer for the Gods, a Pulitzer-Prize-winning history of the Scopes trial and its impact, as well as Trial and Error, the definitive legal history of the creationism/evolution controversy.

Larson's talk is part of Appalachian State's extensive lecture series in honor of Darwin's bicentennial. Among the other speakers in the series are NCSE's executive director Eugenie C. Scott (who spoke in September) and NCSE Supporters Michael Ruse, Kenneth R. Miller, Sean Carroll, and Niles Eldredge.

For a press release about the lecture series, visit:
http://www.news.appstate.edu/2008/09/02/darwin-bicentennial-series-feat…

For a poster advertising the series, visit:
http://universityforum.appstate.edu/

Carl Zimmer

"Darwin and Beyond: How Evolution Is Evolving"
February 12, 2009

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Talk Overview: Charles Darwin launched the modern science of evolution, but he hardly had the last word. In fact, today scientists are discovering that evolution works in ways Darwin himself could not have imagined. In my talk I will celebrate Darwin's achievements by looking at the newest discoveries about evolution, from the emergence of life to the dawn of humanity.

Please join us for a Darwin Day presentation by Carl Zimmer. Mr. Zimmer is well known for his popular science writing, particularly his work on evolution. He has published several books including Soul Made Flesh, a history of the brain, Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea, At the Water's Edge, a book about major transitions in the history of life, The Smithsonian Intimate Guide to Human Origins; and his latest book Microcosm: E. coli and the New Science of Life. Mr. Zimmer contributes to the New York Times, National Geographic, Discover, Scientific American, Science, and Popular Science. He also maintains an award winning blog The Loom.

Location:
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
11 W. Jones St.
Raleigh, NC 27601-1029