The 4th annual Darwin Week will take place from February 13th-17th, 2012 at the University of Northern Iowa. Hosted by the UNI Freethinkers and Inquirers, the week-long event will feature a series of presentations by faculty members from UNI as well as other invited speakers. Each day of Darwin Week will feature a theme around which the lectures will be focused, and each day will culminate with a keynote speaker. The themes include Skepticism (Monday), Sexuality (Tuesday), Diversity (Wednesday), and Origins (Thursday).
All events are free and open to the public and will take place in the Maucker Union in the center of the UNI campus in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Keynote Speakers for Darwin Week 2012:
Monday, February 13th - Dr. Joe Nickell, World renowned skeptical investigator of the paranormal
Tuesday, February 14th – Dr. Clint Kelly, Professor of Biology studing behavioural and evolutionary ecology at Iowa State University
Wednesday, February 15th - Jamila Bey, NPR Journalist and secular activist in the diverse atheist movement
Thursday, February 16th – Dr. Lawrence Krauss, Theoretical physicist and professor of physics at Arizona State University
The complete schedule for Darwin Week 2012!
Monday – Skepticism
2:00PM – “Can Faith and Science Coexist?” (Live Blog)
This will be a moderated debate between members of four student organizations on campus ranging from religious to non-religious!
3:00PM – “Critical Magic: Psy-kepticism” By Zach Paige (Live Blog)
4:00PM – “Context and Demarcation” by Prof. Grant Goodrich (Live Blog)
7:00PM – “Investigating the Paranormal” By Joe Nickell (Live Blog)
Tuesday – Sexuality
12:30PM – “No Strings Attached: Hookups, Personality, and Sexual Regret at UNI” By Prof. Gary Gute and Prof. Elaine Eshbaugh
1:30PM – Student Presentation
2:00PM – “Constructing Sexualities: The Social Construction of Sexuality” by Prof. Ruth Chananie-Hill
3:00PM – Student Presentation
3:30PM – “What You Might Not Know About Homosexuality and the Bible” by Prof. Sue Hill
7:00PM – “Can Darwinian sexual selection explain the evolution of giant sperm and spiny penises?” By Clint Kelly
Wednesday – Diversity
2:00PM – “What It Means to Be Human: The Social Ethics of Charles Darwin” By Dr. Michael Blackwell
3:00PM – “How To Be an Effective Ally” By Prof. Harry Brod
4:00PM – Caught Between Good and Evil: “A Gang member’s View on Life, Death, Religion, and Uncertainty” By Ramon Cantu
7:00PM – The Future Belongs to Us: Facts Diminish Faith” By Jamila Bey
Thursday – Origins
12:30PM – “Oxygen and the Origin of Animals” By Prof. John Groves
1:30PM – Student Research
2:00PM – “The Joys of Poor Design: Intelligent Design? Not” By Prof. Steve O’Kane
3:00PM – Student Research
3:30PM – “Genetics of the Evolutionary Process” By Prof. Theresa Spradling
7:00PM – “A Universe From Nothing” By Dr. Lawrence Krauss
Questions? Email us at contact@darwinweek.com.
