TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A nationally recognized expert on evolutionary biology will kick-off the second year of a two-year series of public lectures on evolution at The University of Alabama Sept. 14. Dr. Massimo Pigliucci will speak at 7:30 p.m. in the Biology Building Auditorium, room 125, on the UA campus.
Pigliucci’s lecture is entitled “Is Intelligent Design Science, Philosophy, or What??” He is a professor in the department of ecology and evolution at Stony Brook University in New York, where his research focuses on plant ecological and evolutionary genetics, especially how adaptations evolve and the factors that constrain their efficacy. He has been published in national magazines such as Free Inquiry, Skeptic, Skeptical Inquirer (for which he writes a regular column on the scientific method), Philosophy Now, and The Philosopher’s Magazine.
The College of Arts and Sciences is sponsoring Alabama Lectures on Life’s Evolution, or ALLELE. The series will feature six experts lecturing on the science and implications of evolution and evolutionary theory during the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007.
“The purpose of this series is to further public understanding of evolution and evolutionary theory, to highlight current research in various sub-disciplines, and to raise awareness about its implications,” said Dr. Kevin Redding, associate professor in the department of chemistry and the coordinator of the UA faculty working group organizing the series.
The lectures are intended for a non-technical audience. They are free and open to the public.
The series is funded through a grant by the National Science Foundation to Redding and by the departments of anthropology, biological sciences, chemistry, geological sciences, religious studies and psychology, all in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Pigliucci received a doctorate in genetics at the University of Ferrara in Italy, his doctorate in botany from the University of Connecticut, and a third doctorate in philosophy at The University of Tennessee.
He has published 68 technical papers and three books on evolutionary biology. He has also published two books for the general public: “Tales of the Rational: Skeptical Essays about Nature and Science” and “Denying Evolution: Creationism, Scientism, and the Nature of Science.” His latest book (with philosopher Jonathan Kaplan) is “Making Sense of Evolution: Toward a Coherent Picture of Evolutionary Theory.”
He was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for “fundamental studies of genotype by environmental interactions and for public defense of evolutionary biology from pseudoscientific attack.”
Pigliucci, who also has an interest in epistemology and philosophy of science, has given lectures around the country and has debated several creationists, including William Craig, William Dembski, Duane Gish, Ken Hovind and Jonathan Wells. He has been elected as a consultant for the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. He is also an editor for the Quarterly Review of Biology and for Biology & Philosophy. Pigliucci maintains a website devoted to positive skepticism with links to books, lectures, essays and a blog (www.rationallyspeaking.org). His lecture is sponsored by the department of biological sciences.
All the ALLELE lectures will be held at 7:30 p.m. in 127 Biology Building Auditorium on the UA campus. Other speakers in the 2006-2007 ALLELE series are:
Oct. 12, 2006
Dr. William Hopkins
“Evolution of Hemispheric Specialization and Language: Recent Findings from Chimpanzees”
Psychologist William Hopkins will speak about the evolution of the primate brain with some insights about how our own brains operate. Hopkins is an associate professor of psychology at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, Ga. and also holds the appointment of research scientist within the division of psychobiology at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University. His research interests are primarily in the evolution of language and speech and how it relates to changes in the organization of the central nervous systems of primates. The department of psychology is sponsoring his lecture.
Nov. 2, 2006
Dr. Barbara Forrest
“The Wedge Strategy: The Political Relevance of Intelligent Design Creationism”
Philosopher Barbara Forrest will speak about the political and legal strategies of the Intelligent Design movement. Forrest is the co-author with Paul R. Gross of “Creationism’s Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design,” which details the political and religious aims of the intelligent design creationist movement. The department of religious studies is sponsoring her lecture.
Feb. 22, 2007
Yousif Shamoo
“Thinking Small: Evolution in a World the Size of a Coffee Pot”
Biochemist Yousif Shamoo will speak about the molecular basis of evolution – how genes encoding specific proteins change in response to changes in the environment, including insights obtained from recent experiments on real-time evolution of heat-resistant proteins in bacteria.
The department of chemistry will sponsor Shamoo’s lecture.
March 22, 2007
Douglas Crews
“Human Senescence and Longevity: Evolutionary Theories, Biological Models, and Biocultural Influences”
Physical anthropologist Douglas Crews will speak about the evolutionarily unusual nature of human longevity and aging. Crews is a professor in the department of anthropology and the school of public health at Ohio State University. As a physical anthropologist, he focuses on studying human adaptation as demonstrated by the processes of aging, disease, and other genetic and quantitative aspects of human variation. Crews’ lecture will be sponsored by the department of anthropology.
April 19, 2007
Philip Gingerich
“Fossils and the Origin of Whales”
Paleontologist Philip Gingerich will speak about the phylogeny and origin of whales, including the discovery and description of the earliest known whale. He is a professor of geological sciences and curator of the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan where he also holds faculty appointments in anthropology and in ecology and evolutionary biology. His research on Eocene whales and sea cows involves colleagues in Egypt, where fossil skeletons are abundant and often virtually complete. Gingerich’s Egyptian field area, Wadi Hitan, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The department of geological sciences is sponsoring Gingerich’s lecture.
Contact
Nelda Sanker, Communications Specialist, College of Arts and Sciences, 205/348-8539