Public Lecture Program
The Public Lecture Program of the Undergraduate Dean's Symposium is presented in partnership with the Helen Edison Lecture Series, and encompasses several events which feature Michael Shermer.
- Up Close with Michael Shermer lunch and open forum in the Natural Sciences Building Auditorium at 12:00pm.
- Winner Announcement for the Why Darwin Matters Student Competition in the Price Center Plaza at 2:00pm.
Public Lecture
View the Video online at UCSD-TV!
Why Darwin Matters:
Evolution, Intelligent Design, and the Battle for Science and Religion
Date: April 2, 2009
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Price Center West Ballroom
Description: Evolution happened, and the theory describing it is one of the most well-founded in all of science. Then why do half of all Americans reject it? There are religious and political reasons, and historian of science and bestselling author Dr. Michael Shermer diffuses these fears by examining what evolution really is, how we know it happened, and how to test it. Shermer then discusses what science is through a brief history of the evolution-creation controversy—from the Scopes’ Monkey Trial of 1925 through the creationism trials of the 1960s and 1970s, to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case of 1987, to the Intelligent Design controversies of the 1990s and 2000s—demonstrating clearly how and why creationism and Intelligent Design theory are not science. Dr. Shermer builds a powerful case for evolution as the theory that most closely parallels the Christian model of human nature and the conservative model of free market economics. Dr. Shermer was once an evangelical Christian and a creationist, and is now one of the best-known public intellectuals defending evolutionary theory. He provides the audience with an insiders’ guide to the evolution-creation debate, in which he shows why creationism and Intelligent Design are not only bad science, they are bad theology, and why science should be embraced by people of all beliefs.
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Biosketch: Michael's passionate mission in life is to seek clarification and viewpoints on today's controversial ideas and claims. He has founded The Skeptics Society a scientific and educational organization of scholars, scientists, historians, magicians, professors and teachers, and anyone curious about controversial ideas, extraordinary claims, revolutionary ideas, and the promotion of science. Skeptic's mission is to serve as an educational tool for those seeking clarification and viewpoints on those controversial ideas and claims. Michael Shermer is one of the most well-known skeptics in America. He is a contributing editor and monthly columnist for Scientific American, and is the host of the Skeptics Distinguished Lecture Series at Caltech. He is the author of many books, including Science Friction: Where the Known Meets the Unknown, and Why People Believe Weird Things. Since founding the Skeptics Society and Skeptic magazine, he has appeared widely on TV and radio advancing the scientific and skeptical point of view, on shows such as 20/20, Dateline, Charlie Rose, Oprah, Unsolved Mysteries, and many more. |