Darwin Lecture Series

As you might have noticed from the lack of non-book review posts here, I've been quite busy lately. Family was in town for a couple of weeks, plus I've had considerable work and school responsibilities lately, so I've had little time to keep up here.

A highlight tonight will be listening to Bart, better known by his Atheist Camel nom de plume Dromedary Hump, on The Infidel Guy Show this evening. Hump is a fantastic blogger I've mentioned before when I reviewed his unexpected gem of a book The Atheist Camel Chronicles. To listen to Hump on IG this evening at 8pm ET, go here.

Last night was another treat as I tuned into the first presentation from the Darwin Lecture Series. The presenter was the extraordinary history of science professor Everett Mendelsohn, who described The World Before Darwin with wit and excellent insights. I'd just read The Reluctant Mr. Darwin so I had some knowledge of the material, but Mendelsohn's presentation is engaging and enjoyable to absorb. An MP3 recording of the webcast is already available here, and a video copy will be up soon (check the Darwin150 site for more details).

I've spent the last hour listening in on an enlightening and entertaining teleconference featuring author and Darwin historian Richard Milner. Milner, whose new book is titled Darwin's Universe: Evolution from A to Z, has a history of scholarly research and artistic flair, including his one-man musical Charles Darwin: Live & In Concert .

Presented by Reading Odyssey and the Darwin Facebook Project, this talk was held via teleconference and organized through eventbright.com. There is a future Darwin Lectures Series set to kick off in September, featuring more great intellectual talent, including E.O. Wilson and Sean Carroll.

The talk tonight, hosted by Reading Odyssey founder Phil Terry, included fascinating biology stories, Darwin history, and colorful songs sung live by Milner himself. A jovial and passionate speaker, Milner made the hour go fast and left no doubt that he is a fascinating conversationalist. What a fun and insightful way to spend an hour! I look forward to the Darwin Lectures for more enlightening entertainment.

UPDATE: You can now download and listen to an MP3 version of the talk (originally posted here).

I'm going to be listening in Wednesday night, August 19, 2009 to hear natural historian Richard Milner discuss his new book Darwin's Universe: Evolution From A to Z. The talk is free to everyone and is accessible by phone or Skype. Hosted by The Reading Odyssey and the Darwin Facebook project, the talk is described this way:

Milner will help to set context for our 150th Anniversary Lecture Series to begin in September by talking broadly about Darwin, evolution and Milner's new book which catalogs the scientific, cultural, political impact of the theory of evolution. Milner shares with the Reading Odyssey community the idea that we have a lot to learn from the great thinkers, great books and ideas of the past - and that we can "talk" to those thinkers and learn from them. As Milner says in his introduction, there is a lot of value to creating a conversation with Darwin. "Despite our conviction that present scientific knowledge surpasses anything known a century ago, we can still learn a great deal by 'talking over' the great questions of evolution and science with Darwin and his friends."

The Darwin Lecture series is currently set for four events, and will feature famed biologists and historians, including E. O. Wilson, Sean Carroll, and Everett Mendelsohn, among others. You can sign up for free tickets here. Tickets are limited (and free), so sign up ASAP to secure your spot.

As I argued in the recent post on my Creation "Museum" visit and the discussion I had with creationists, it is vital to understand the basic arguments about evolution, to understand the basics of the history of Darwin and Darwinism, and be capable of relaying that information to those who may not have such knowledge. Taking part in these free talks is a great way to further this effort and make your own ability to argue what you know more grounded in fundamentals.

If you have any interest in biology, evolution, Charles Darwin, or simply being able to counter creationist arguments, sign up for these free talks, and spread the word to others who might be interested as well.