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March 27, 2006
Event - Darwinian Medicine
Sunday, April 2
Darwinian medicine: If natural selection is so great,
why are we so vulnerable to disease?
Randolph Nesse, Psychiatry and Psychology; University of Michigan
William R. Farrand Annual Public Lecture
Presented by the Exhibit Museum of Natural History
3 pm, Michigan League, Hussey Room, 911 N. University Ave.
Reception following
Posted at 01:11 PM
Event - Evolution of Robots
Saturday, April 1
Evolution of Robots
Peter Swanson, Fanuc Robots America
Saturday Morning Physics series
10:30 am, 170 Dennison Building, 500 Church St.
(arrive early, seats fill quickly)
Take a look at how an industrial robot works, and how it has evolved with improvements in processing power and control technology. See how robotic technologies are being used in telepresence and autonomous vehicles. Look to the future as haptics, prosthetics, and exoskeletons begin to blur the line between human and robot.
Posted at 01:10 PM
Event - Does Evolutionary Theory Explain Dogon Culture?
Friday, March 31
Does Evolutionary Theory Explain Dogon Culture?
Beverly Strassmann, Anthropology, Research
Center for Group Dynamics, University of Michigan
Evolution and Culture Colloquium Series
10:30 am, 4448 East Hall, 530 Church St.
Posted at 01:09 PM
Event - Biogeography of the Northern Hemisphere
Thursday, March 30
Biogeography of the Northern Hemisphere
Dr. Michael Donoghue, Yale University
Wagner Memorial Lecture
Presented by the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
7:00-8:30 pm, 1210 Chemistry, 930 N. University Ave.
Posted at 01:08 PM
Event - Making Darwin: Biography and Character
Thursday, March 30
Making Darwin: Biography and Character
Janet Browne, University College London
Science, Technology, Medicine and Society Distinguished Lecture
4:00-5:30pm, Vandenberg Room, Michigan League, 911 N. University Ave.
Posted at 01:08 PM
Event - The Future of Food
Wednesday, March 29
The Future of Food (2004)
Evolution Film Series
Respondent: Catherine Badgley, Residential College and Museum of Paleontology
7 pm, Natural Sciences Auditorium
Kraus Natural Sciences Building, 830 North University Ave.
Discussion following
This documentary explores the disturbing facts behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled grocery store shelves for the past decade, and the market and political forces that are shaping what we eat.
Posted at 01:06 PM
March 20, 2006
Event - Mars and the Evolution of Thought
Saturday, March 25
Mars and the Evolution of Thought
Eric Rabkin, English Language and Literature, University of Michigan
Saturday Morning Physics series
10:30 am, 170 Dennison, 500 Church St., Ann Arbor
(arrive early, seats fill quickly)
Once the gods fought in our heavens; now we see the orderly progress of stars. Once the night sky harbored our enemies; now we see planets as resources for the taking. This lecture will consider how, driven in part by our changing understanding of the Red Planet, these shifts and others reflect the evolving of self-conceptions of humanity.
Posted at 12:17 PM
Event - Life Through the Ages Discovery Day
Saturday, March 25
Life Through the Ages Discovery Day
9 am – 5 pm, Exhibit Museum of Natural History, 1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor
Activity stations throughout the Museum engage families in an exploration of life through time.
Understand how life on Earth changes through time. Take a close up look at
the fossils of creatures from long ago, and learn how scientists clean and
study fossils to reveal the secrets of ancient animals. For visitors of all
ages.
Highlights include:
* Live Animal Demonstrations
* Fossil Dig
* DNA Extraction
* Battle of the Beaks
* Family Resemblance?
* Fossils with a Twist
* Prehistoric Movies
* And much more!
For information about the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, visit
http://www.lsa.umich.edu/exhibitmuseum/
Posted at 12:17 PM
Event - Evolution, Altruism and Ethics
Friday, March 24
Evolution, Altruism and Ethics
Stephen P. Stich, Rutgers University
Evolution and Culture Colloquium Series
10:30 am, 4448 East Hall, 530 Church St., Ann Arbor
Posted at 12:16 PM
Event - Diet, Death and Demography
Thursday, March 23
Diet, death and demography
Linda Partridge, University College London
Academic seminar co-sponsored by the Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
4 pm, Modern Languages Building Lecture Room 2, 812 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor
Posted at 12:14 PM
Event - Frozen Angels
Thursday, March 23
Frozen Angels (2005)
Evolution Film Series
Respondents: Filmakers Frauke Sandig and Eric Black
Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Visitor Series and Ann Arbor Film Festival
5 pm, Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor
Posted at 12:13 PM
Event - Distinguished Speaker: Linda Partridge
Wednesday, March 22
Ageing and Medicine
Linda Partridge, University College London
Distinguished Speaker Series
7 pm, 1800 Chemistry Building, 930 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor
Reception following in Chemistry atrium
Recent work on the biology of ageing has led to the surprising discovery that mutations in single genes can extend lifespan in laboratory animals. These findings both challenge some of the earlier conclusions of work on the evolution of ageing and hold some promise for understanding human ageing.
You can view Dr. Partridge's biography or a list of selected scientific articles on the Explore Evolution website.
Posted at 12:10 PM
Event - Workshop: Evolution and the Nature of Science
Monday, March 20
Evolution and the Nature of Science
Workshop for Undergraduates
5:30-7:30, Exhibit Museum of Natural History, 1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor
An additional session will be offered on:
Monday, April 3
Pre-registration is required. Please register at least one week in advance, in the Curriculum section of http://www.umich.edu/evolution.
See previous entry for details.
Posted at 12:09 PM
March 13, 2006
Event - Sensational Cenozoic: Back to the Sea
Sunday, March 19
Sensational Cenozoic: Back to the Sea
Workshop for children ages 6-11 with an adult
Life Through the Ages Family Science and Reading Program
3 pm, Exhibit Museum of Natural History, 1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor
Pre-registration required, call (734) 764-0478
Posted at 12:38 PM
Event - Scientific Uncertainty and Public Policy
Saturday, March 18
Scientific Uncertainty and Public Policy:
moving on without all the answers
Henry Pollack, Geological Sciences, University of Michigan
Saturday Morning Physics series
10:30 am, 170 Dennison Building, 500 Church St., Ann Arbor
One frequently hears scientific uncertainty offered up as an excuse to avoid making important public policy decisions. We will hear about sources of uncertainty, both real and 'manufactured', and offer perspectives on why policy formulation must proceed in the face of uncertainty.
Posted at 12:37 PM
Event - Explaining Religion
Friday, March 17
Explaining Religion
Harvey Whitehouse, Anthropology, Queens University, Ireland
Evolution and Culture Colloquium Series
10:30 am, 4448 East Hall, 530 Church St., Ann Arbor
Posted at 12:37 PM
Event - Could Neanderthals Chew Gum and Walk at the Same Time?
Thursday, March 16
Could Neanderthals Chew Gum and Walk at the Same Time?
An Archaeological Look at Current Ideas About the Last ‘Archaic’ Humans
John D. Speth, Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan
Museum of Anthropology Brown Bag Series
12 noon, 2009 Ruthven Museums Building, 1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor
Posted at 12:36 PM
Event - Workshop: Evolution and the Nature of Science
Thursday, March 16
Evolution and the Nature of Science
Workshop for Undergraduates
5:30-7:30, Exhibit Museum of Natural History, 1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor
Additional sessions will be offered on:
Monday, March 20
Monday, April 3
Pre-registration is required. Please register at least one week in advance, in the Curriculum section of http://www.umich.edu/evolution.
See previous entry for details.
Posted at 12:35 PM
Event - Teacher Workshop Sequence
Wednesday, March 15
Teacher Workshop Sequence
Presented by Dr. Gregory Forbes, Evolution Education Institute
4:30-7:30 pm, Exhibit Museum of Natural History, 1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor
Pre-registration required; call (734) 764-0478
Posted at 12:34 PM
Event - Jurassic Park
Wednesday, March 15
Jurassic Park (1993)
Evolution Film Series
Respondents: Sheila Murphy, Screen Arts and Cultures, University of Michigan, and Jeffrey A. Wilson, Museum of Paleontology and Geological Sciences, University of Michigan
7 pm, Natural Sciences Auditorium
Kraus Natural Sciences Building, 830 North University Ave., Ann Arbor
Discussion following
Posted at 12:33 PM
Event - Reading From Servants of the Map
Monday, March 13
Reading from Servants of the Map
Andrea Barrett, novelist
Presented by the Residential College
5 pm, Exhibit Museum of Natural History, 1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor
Reception following, Museum Rotunda
Posted at 12:32 PM
March 06, 2006
Event - Physics of Dating Technologies
Saturday, March 11
Physics of Dating Technologies
Fred Becchetti, Physics, University of Michigan
Saturday Morning Physics series
10:30 am, 170 Dennison, 500 Church St., Ann Arbor
(arrive early, seats fill quickly)
Documenting the course of evolution depends on the accurate dating and sequencing of ancient artifacts. Physics has provided some of the primary techniques for doing this, in particular radioactive dating such as C14 dating. The basic techniques and some of the recent developments in this field will be reviewed together with some of the implications.
Posted at 12:24 PM
Event - Endless Forms: Engaging Evolution Opening Reception
Friday, March 10
Endless Forms: Engaging Evolution Opening Reception
Art exhibition, February 24-March 24
Presented by A+D Life
U-M School of Art + Design
6:30-9:30 pm, Work Exhibition Space, 306 S. State St., Ann Arbor
Gallery Hours: Monday: Closed
Tuesday - Wednesday: noon - 7:00 p.m.
Thursday: noon - 4:30 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: noon - 8:00 p.m.
Sunday: noon - 5:00 pm
Posted at 12:22 PM
Event - Workshop: Evolution and the Nature of Science
Thursday, March 9
Evolution and the Nature of Science
Workshop for Undergraduates
5:30-7:30, Exhibit Museum of Natural History, 1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor
Additional sessions will be offered on:
Thursday, March 16
Monday, March 20
Monday, April 3
Pre-registration is required. Please register at least one week in advance, in the Curriculum section of http://www.umich.edu/evolution.
See previous entry for details.
Posted at 12:21 PM
Event - Distinguished Speaker: W. Ford Doolittle
Wednesday, March 8
The Tree of Life: is it really a web?
W. Ford Doolittle, Dalhousie University
Distinguished Speaker Series
7 pm, Chemistry 1800, 930 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor
Reception following in Chemistry atrium
Darwin claimed that the history of Life can be "represented by a great tree". Many types of evidence, and especially gene sequence data, support this claim as far as complex life forms such as animals and plants are concerned. But for bacteria and archaebacteria, frequent transfer of genes across species lines complicates the picture: the pattern of relationships may be more web-like than tree-like. I will describe the evidence for this, and discuss whether or not it is appropriate to say that, in this context, Darwin was wrong.
You can view Dr. Doolittle's biography or a list of selected scientific articles on the Explore Evolution website.
Posted at 12:17 PM