■ The Wedgwoods and the Darwins—a Marriage of Science and Industry?
Sharon Gater
Wedgwood Museum
Wedgwood Museum
Charles Darwin’s mother belonged to the famous Wedgwood family and this link with Josiah Wedgwood played a critical role in Charles’ efforts to take advantage of becoming the naturalist on the Beagle during its five year voyage. In this talk more interesting connections between the two families will be explored.
A joint BRLSI/Bath Literature Festival Event
A joint BRLSI/Bath Literature Festival Event
Thursday 5 March 2009 (starts at 1.00pm)
Admission £5.00 (BRLSI members £3.00)
Admission £5.00 (BRLSI members £3.00)
■ Underground Resistance –Soil Bacterial Secrets to Combat Darwinian Cunning in Superbugs
Professor Sir David Hopwood
John Innes Institute
John Innes Institute
Antibiotics were a triumphant feature of 20th century medicine, but Darwinian reactions saw pathogenic bacteria develop antibiotic resistance. A novel response is being found through genetic insights into the microbes, such as soil-based filamentous bacteria called Actinomycetes, that make antibiotics.
Tuesday 17 March 2009
■ The Inspiration of Erasmus Darwin
Anthony Campbell
Director of the Darwin Centre
Cardiff University
Director of the Darwin Centre
Cardiff University
Erasmus Darwin's celebrated work Zoönomia was a major influence on Charles Darwin during his childhood and helped him improve his observational skills as an experienced naturalist.
Thursday 2 April 2009 (starts at 1.00pm)
■ Is Technology Darwinian?
Professor Julian Vincent
University of Bath
University of Bath
Does technology evolve, or does it just fill the gaps in our competence? Technology develops like social transformation rather than morphological evolution. Perhaps the (Darwinian) transformation of structures and the transformation of organisations have different patterns.
Friday 1 May 2009
■ Twisting by the Gene Pool with Polymorphic Snails
Dr Paul Craze
Open University
Open University
Although the theory of evolution by natural selection came from observing organisms in their natural environment, further genetic study between and within species was largely confined to laboratories. With rapid climate change and the challenges of genetically modified organisms, the study of variation needs to focus again on organisms in nature. How can we take part in the widest-ever such study? What can we learn from ‘twisting snails’ and other such studies?
Friday 15 May 2009
• “Do you have an itch for science?” The above talk (15th May) is preceded by an informal drop-■ Cerebral Evolution: the Ascent of Intelligence?
Dr Momna Hejmadi,
University of Bath
University of Bath
Subject to natural selection, Darwin proposed a common ancestry of the human brain with other animals. Despite sharing common neural functions, mammals alone have evolved a multi-layered cortex. Why did this happen and has this feature made us the humans we are today?
Wednesday 18 November 2009
■ Darwin’s Greatest Friend– Sir Joseph Hooker of Kew
Dr Tim Hooker
BRLSI member
BRLSI member
It was Joseph Hooker, botanist, traveller and director of Kew Gardens, to whom Darwin first ‘confessed’ his evolutionary ideas in 1844. After publication of the Origin of Species Darwin wrote that Hooker’s assistance was more ‘than I received from anyone else, and is beyond valuing in my eyes’.
150th anniversary of 1st publication of Origin of Species.
150th anniversary of 1st publication of Origin of Species.
Tuesday 24 November 2009
■ Dante’s Infernal Problem—Linguistics as a Precursor and Mirror to the Study of Evolution
Dr Nicholas Ostler, philologist
Languages and life forms were traditionally
attributed to divine action in Genesis. Dante saw that a process of gradual change in language would be invisible, but could explain variety. Such dynamic explanations were finally developed as theories, revolutionising both linguistics and biology through the 19th century.
attributed to divine action in Genesis. Dante saw that a process of gradual change in language would be invisible, but could explain variety. Such dynamic explanations were finally developed as theories, revolutionising both linguistics and biology through the 19th century.
Friday 16 January 2009
Dr Daniel Pauly, Professor of Fisheries
University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
A look at some of the practical problems Darwin faced while fish-The collaboration between Charles Darwin and naturalist Leonard Jenyns, leading to the publication of Fish as part of the Zoology of the Beagle, will be described, based on the published correspondence between Darwin and Jenyns.
The speaker will open the ‘Mr Darwin’s Fishes’ exhibition
Thursday 12 February 2009 (Darwin’s birthday)
William Pryor, writer and entrepreneur and Darwin’s’ great great grandson
William will be talking about his grandmother, Gwen Raverat, author of the beloved memoir Period Piece, talented wood engraver and friend of Stanley Spencer, Rupert Brooke and Virginia Woolf. Growing up in Cambridge as one of the extensive Darwin clan, Gwen felt the pressures and pleasures of having a world famous grandfather.
Thursday 5 February 2009 (starts at 1.00pm)
Postponed to Fri Feb 13th at 7.30pm
Postponed to Fri Feb 13th at 7.30pm
■ Darwin -
Ruth Padel
Darwin’s great-great-grandaughter will be performing poems from her latest book of the same title.
A joint BRLSI/Bath Literature Festival Event
Wednesday 4 March 2009
Admission £7.00 (BRLSI members £5.00)
Institution Lectures
All events are at BRLSI, 16 Queen Square, Bath BA1 2HN, and start at 7.30pm unless otherwise stated.
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