Lecturer celebrates the anniversary of Darwin's birth
Stephanie Karampelas: Staff Writer
Issue date: 4/2/09 Section: News
Charles Darwin was not the radical revolutionary that society has pinned him to be. On the contrary, he was a fundamentally conservative man who was confronted with a radical idea.
This was the premise of David Quammen's lecture titled "Charles Darwin Against Himself: Caution Versus Honesty in the Life of a Reluctant Revolutionary" that took place March 30 in Kenan Auditorium.
The lecture was sponsored by the creative writing department and the Honors Program. The UNCW Evolution Learning Community welcomed Quammen to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth and to promote discussion of the Darwinian theory on campus.
Dr. Patricia Kelley, a member of the Evolution Learning Community and a professor from the department of geography and geology said Quammen was selected to speak based on his work on Darwin.
"He brings the perspective of a non-scientist to Darwin's life and work and makes Darwin's contributions accessible to the general public," Kelley said.
Quammen, a graduate of Yale University and a professor at Montana University, has written for National Geographic and Outside magazine. He has published non-fiction works including "The Song of the Dodo" and "The Reluctant Mr. Darwin."
"I feel like I've been taking the book tour that Darwin was too shy and smart to take himself," Quammen said.
Given that Darwin remains so controversial and threatening after so many years demands attention from the academic community. According to Quammen, Darwin's goal was not to explain the origin of life on earth; he described the processes of adaptation, survival and evolution that followed.
According to Quammen, Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is composed of three main points: "offspring tend to resemble their parents, offspring vary from their parents, and that our planet is desperately crowded."
Darwin consistently exhibited both caution and honesty throughout his life. He waited over 20 years to publish his findings, time he spent researching, editing and anticipating the consequences of his realization that humans are no more god-like than any other species.
His caution was won over by his undeniable honesty. He wanted to answer questions that he found could simply not be reconciled through Creationism. Darwin's honesty and ambition sustained his dedication to science until he died from heart disease in 1882.
Quammen concluded the lecture urging the audience to appreciate the life of Darwin and the process of his discoveries, and to continue to promote discussion on his theories.
This was the premise of David Quammen's lecture titled "Charles Darwin Against Himself: Caution Versus Honesty in the Life of a Reluctant Revolutionary" that took place March 30 in Kenan Auditorium.
The lecture was sponsored by the creative writing department and the Honors Program. The UNCW Evolution Learning Community welcomed Quammen to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth and to promote discussion of the Darwinian theory on campus.
Dr. Patricia Kelley, a member of the Evolution Learning Community and a professor from the department of geography and geology said Quammen was selected to speak based on his work on Darwin.
"He brings the perspective of a non-scientist to Darwin's life and work and makes Darwin's contributions accessible to the general public," Kelley said.
Quammen, a graduate of Yale University and a professor at Montana University, has written for National Geographic and Outside magazine. He has published non-fiction works including "The Song of the Dodo" and "The Reluctant Mr. Darwin."
"I feel like I've been taking the book tour that Darwin was too shy and smart to take himself," Quammen said.
Given that Darwin remains so controversial and threatening after so many years demands attention from the academic community. According to Quammen, Darwin's goal was not to explain the origin of life on earth; he described the processes of adaptation, survival and evolution that followed.
According to Quammen, Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is composed of three main points: "offspring tend to resemble their parents, offspring vary from their parents, and that our planet is desperately crowded."
Darwin consistently exhibited both caution and honesty throughout his life. He waited over 20 years to publish his findings, time he spent researching, editing and anticipating the consequences of his realization that humans are no more god-like than any other species.
His caution was won over by his undeniable honesty. He wanted to answer questions that he found could simply not be reconciled through Creationism. Darwin's honesty and ambition sustained his dedication to science until he died from heart disease in 1882.
Quammen concluded the lecture urging the audience to appreciate the life of Darwin and the process of his discoveries, and to continue to promote discussion on his theories.
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