Monday, November 29, 2010

TALK ON EVOLUTION — TOMORROW EVENING AT FIRST CHURCH

The public is invited to a talk and slide presentation on Evolution by Frederick M. Cohan, Wesleyan Professor of Biology, on Tuesday, November 30, at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Room at First Church of Christ, Congregational (UCC), 190 Court Street, in Middletown.

The talk will consider the evidence for evolution, including how whales evolved from hippopotamus-like creatures, some points of controversy among evolutionary biologists, and how evolution can help us understand changes in culture, language, and religion.

Frederick Cohan received his PhD in biology from Harvard University and has been on the Wesleyan faculty since1986. He is generously offering this talk to the public out of enthusiasm for his field of study and its importance related to disease, medical science, and global stresses and food supply.

First Church has organized this program for its intrinsic interest and to demonstrate that faith communities can and need to embrace the discovery and tools of science if we want to be involved in their application in human society.

For more information, call 860-346-6657 x13

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Was unable to attend Talk on Evolution last night.

Would like to read any news on this event if you attended.

Interesting topic!

Anonymous said...

did attend and the program was good.
The scary part of the presentation concerned the issue of drug resistant bacteria. Prof Cohen feels that the tremendous amount of antibiotics utilized on feed lots to not only control disease caused by the severe overcrowding but to also enhance animal growth will have severe consequences for human public health. An attendee mentioned there doesn't seem to be any desire by our elected officials to do anything about this other than to take campaign contributions from the corporations
involved in producing the drugs, running the feedlots, and selling the meat.

Anonymous said...

Thanks. Glad to hear. Interesting regarding bacteria issue--micro-evolution, I suppose. Interesting, too, that this issue could be addressed by initiating term limits and other limits on elected offices. And of course, transparency in campaign donations (for corporate visibility).

I'm surprized term limits and campaign donation transparency aren't bigger issues/rallying points within our major advocacy organizations and at grass-roots level. It seems clear, to me at least, that all roads lead to term limits (with a fair amount of election financing reform in the mix, too). The sooner, the better!

Maybe it's a matter of too many of us profiting from shareholding in these corporations and not willing to give that up..... how sad.