Darwin Colloquium

[meleah]

Situation: You are putting together a colloquium for undergraduate students and faculty centered on celebrating the 150th anniversary of the publication of Origin of Species.

Caveat: No focus, whether it is to Darwin as a historical figure (biographical), Origin of Species as an idea (philosophical/historical - may include Wallace, eg), Evolution

Comments

[qamar]

Awesome, awesome Aussie philosophers of biology who are brilliant, engaging speakers and totally cutting edge: Kim Sterelny, Peter Godfrey-Smith, Paul Griffiths.

Others who I can recommend from this ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_biology) list:

* John Dupré
* Marc Ereshefsky
* David Hull
* Philip Kitcher
* Elisabeth Lloyd
* Ruth Millikan
* Elliott Sober
* Robert Wilson

[meleah]

What a shame Wiki Doesn't have something on everyone - I like the sound of Dupre and Lloyd a lot though! Problem is remembering that we're supposed to be getting someone the students can engage with, not the people we want to hear! *sigh*

Who would you pick for accessibility to U/grads, engaging speaking, and ability to cover a range of topics/provide a general base (perhaps provacative) for later discussions?

Oh and what do you think of Dennett? how does he fit the above requirements?

[qamar]

They're all provocative in a way that will really get students interested/thinking.

Kimbo (Kim Steleny) is Peter Jackson meets Mad Max. He's a straight talking Aussie who your students will fall in love with. He's brilliant and extremely accessible. He's currently giving the highly prestigous Jean Nicod Lectures in France. He's also won major book awards. Check out his recent book looking at Gould vs. Dawkins... oh and he's a student of my dad's and can drink any of us under the table. He came to the wedding in fact! :)

Peter Godfrey-Smith is the George Clooney of biology. Job at Harvard. Fierce. (also a student of my dad's ;) )

Paul Griffiths is the James Bond of the trio. Smart, well-spoken, and killer powerpoints. If you want a super-hero to destroy genetic determinism, he's your man. He'll also talk about rat erections depending on being licked in the genitals by their mothers, so you know its gold for students.

Dennett... no. I wouldn't go for him, except for Big Name reasons.

[sly_girl]

Oliver Sacks. He's an engaging speaker, a total nerd, I don't know of any subjects he can't talk about and there's an outside chance that liberal arts students might have heard of him.

[meleah]

Er, nice guy, good speaker but um - did you read this?:

Darwin Colloquium ...centered on celebrating the 150th anniversary of the publication of Origin of Species.

Just what does Sacks have to do with the topic??

[sly_girl]

I read this bit: Speaker is engaging to liberal arts students.

Melvyn Bragg included the book in his Twelve Books That Changed The World. The anniversary of its publication is of interest to everyone. You said there was no focus, so I went for an interesting speaker who I'm quite sure would nevertheless know a thing or two about the subject. He seems to know a thing or two about everything.

You want a big, big name? Get someone your liberal arts students have heard of and get them to talk about more than the science. Like you said to Sk8 - you want someone the students can engage with, not someone you want to hear.

[qamar]

...Steven Pinker.

[meleah]

Ah! Very good point!!

(tho I hate how all these genetic determinists are pretty much unopposed in the public sphere since the demise of Gould. And no one will let me invite Lewontin, they say he's a terrible speaker.. )

[razorgirl_au]

Noam Chomsky
Michel Foucault

... And I want a video of the event.

: )

[meleah]

See above comment to Halo.. Chomsky's a stretch, but Focault??

It'd be lovely to have someone talk about science, at a colloquium centered on our greatest scientific theory.

[meleah]

Also, we are somewhat limited by the idea that the person we invite probably should be alive.

[qamar]

*giggle*