Debating the Evidence : Evolution

Description

Convener: 

Professor Mary Jacobus, Director CRASSH

Darwin's theory of evolution still provokes both informed and even passionate debate. Evolutionary theory has itself continued to evolve and diversify, sometimes provoking controversy between rival strands, while recently it has again come under attack from religious groups who question its scientific basis altogether. This interdisciplinary day of discussion and debate will focus on imaginative and creative responses to Darwin's Origin of Species, as well as the historical and scholarly debates surrounding Darwin's work. It will also address larger questions about the nature of evidence in scientific debate (the so-called 'science wars'). Experts drawn from relevant scientific fields, along with artists, literary critics, and historians of science, will use Darwin's work as the starting point for a lively debate about what constitutes evidence in the scientific community.