Notice - This is an Archival Page.
For information regarding Darwin Week 2003, see: DarwinWeek III


Darwin-old Welcome to...
Darwin Week in Charleston!
February 11 - 14, 2002
 
 
 
 



Sponsors

The Public is invited...
to our Second Annual observance of Darwin Week in the Holy City of the South. On Monday we'll hear from a Paleontologist who is married to a Presbyterian minister1.  On Thursday, we'll hear from a Presbyterian minister who is married to a Biologist2.  Between the two we'll host our keynote Paleoanthropologist (on Darwin's Birthday itself) and a Astronomer well known throughout the Charleston scientific community.
 
 

All Talks are Scheduled...
for 4:30 pm in Room 123 of the College of Charleston Science Center, at the corner of Coming and George Streets.  Each talk will be followed by an opportunity to meet the speaker over refreshments.  Birthday cake on Tuesday!  All talks are free - no admission fee charged.
 
 

Check out this line-up!

Monday, Feb 11 - Dr. Patricia Kelley
Evolution and Creation: Conflicting or Compatible?
Dr. Kelley will argue that evolution is the only viable scientific explanation for the history of life.  To understand that statement, we will consider what is meant by science (in contrast to religion), fact, theory, and evolution.  An overview of the evidence (including fossil data) and mechanisms for evolution will be given.  The talk will conclude with discussion of the Biblical accounts of creation and will reflect on ways of reconciling faith and scientific issues.  Dr. Patricia Kelley is Chair of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, as well as President of the Paleontological Society.  Her research focuses on fossil mollusc evolution.

Tuesday, Feb 12 - Dr. William L. Jungers
Evolution and Extinction on the Great Red Island of Madagascar.
If Darwin had visited the Island of Madagascar, he no doubt would have been influenced in the same way as he was by the Galapagos.  On Madagascar an extraordinary "laboratory experiment" in evolution and adaptation has taken place, affecting the diversity of all kinds of plants and animals.  Our relatives, the lemurs, have evolved into a wide range of species adapted to ecological niches as diverse as woodpeckers and sloths.  Dr. William Jungers is a Professor in the Department of Anatomy at the SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine.  He has worked for over 25 years on the functional anatomy and behavior of Malagasy primates as well as our early African human ancestors.
Happy Birthday C.D.!

Wednesday, Feb 13 - Dr. Robert J. Dukes
The New Cosmology: The Past and Future of the Universe as a Home for Life.
We can trace the history of the universe back to a infinitesimal fraction of a second after the creation event.  In doing this we discover the origin of all of the chemical elements which make up our bodies.  In the last ten years we have again discovered the validity of J.B.S. Haldane's statement: "the universe is not only stranger than we imagine it to be, it is stranger than we can imagine it to be."  In this talk Dr. Dukes will discuss briefly the origin and evolution of the universe and the chemical elements.  He will explore the conditions required for life-bearing planets to exist and finally explore the future of the universe as a home for life.  Dr. Robert J. Dukes, Jr. is Associate Dean of Sciences and Mathematics, and Professor of Physics and Astronomy, at the College of Charleston.

Thursday, Feb 14 - Dr. Daniel W. Massie
Christianity and Science - In Search of Common Ground
While in some limited quarters of Christendom, scientific advance and new discoveries might be greeted with suspicion or rejection, that is not the case with most Christians or most Christian bodies, who often view science as a gift of God.  Indeed, Dr. Massie will argue that religion and science are not at odds with each other, should not dismiss out of hand the contributions of the other, and in fact should seek and recognize common interests and common ground.  They best serve their own ends by listening to and learning from each other.  Dr. Daniel W. Massie is Senior Minister of First (Scots) Presbyterian Church in Charleston.  A native of Mississippi, he holds degrees from Belhaven College, Lees-McRae College, and Union Theological Seminary.  He has also studied at New College, Edinburgh, Princeton Theological Seminary, and the Tantur Ecumenical Center of Jerusalem.
 

See you There!
1Patricia Kelley's husband, Jonathan, is the pastor of Southport Presbyterian Church, Southport, NC.
2 Danny Massie's wife, Tita, teaches in the Biology Department at the College of Charleston, and coordinates the Lowcountry Science Fair.
 


This page brought to you by:
Dr. Rob Dillon
Vice President, Charleston Chapter of Sigma Xi