Vol. 38, No. 18

10-9-2008
By: Adam King

Darwin's tribute: 'Growth of an Idea'

Lectures, panel discussions and art highlight October’s kickoff events

In Charles Darwin’s day, he was the one challenging conventional wisdom.

Today, it’s his ideas that are being challenged as some school boards and state boards of education attempt to move creationism into the classroom under the guise of “intelligent design.”

So as part of Ohio State’s year-long tribute celebrating Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of his book On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection, entomology Professor Susan Fisher will host a pair of lectures and a panel discussion on the clash between science and religion. Biology 101 students are the targeted audience, but the events are free and open to anyone.

On Oct. 20, federal Judge John Jones, who presided over the Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School Board case in which he rejected the Pennsylvania board’s attempt to add intelligent design to its curriculum, will present “Our Constitution’s Intelligent Design” at 7 p.m. in Independence Hall. Jones also will be available for an informal discussion from 9:30-11 a.m. Oct. 21 at the Davis Heart Lung Auditorium.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward Humes visits Jennings Hall at 7 p.m. Oct. 21 to deliver the lecture “Talk Radio Evolution: America’s Love-Hate Relationship with Science.”

At 7 p.m. Oct. 22, a live panel discussion on science and religion at COSI with a videolink to the Fawcett Center auditorium will feature Stanford evolutionary biologist Joan Roughgarden, Carnegie Mellon geologist and theologian Connie Bertka and Washington State’s Carol Anelli, associate professor of entomology.

During the panel discussion, the Carpe Diem String Quartet with Columbus Symphony Orchestra violinist Korine Fujiwara will perform a musical piece commissioned by Fisher to honor Darwin.

“It seems to me that if a liberal education is to have the emancipatory and transcendent qualities we say it has, that students have to be exposed to the big ideas,” Fisher said.

“So in addition to Darwin, students will hear about the resilience of our constitution, the reconciliation of faith and reason and the contemporary assault on science.”

The visual and performing arts bring Darwin under the lights as well. Through Oct. 30, OSU Marion’s Kuhn Fine Arts Gallery hosts “Darwin’s Bicentennial: Art, Science and the Origin of Species.” The exhibit then moves to Hopkins Hall Gallery + Corridor on the Columbus campus from Nov. 12-Dec. 5.

And on Nov. 14, a science and theater symposium will include City University of New York Professor Brian Schwartz and two other panelists who will discuss the Department of Theatre’s production Pangea, a play that looks at how technology affects humanity.

Of course, these are but a few of the many offerings, which can be found currently at asccommunitypartnerships.osu.edu/growthofanideaevents.cfm (but will eventually move to osu.edu/Darwin).

“I guess I actually don’t think it’s as important to celebrate Darwin himself as it is to celebrate — or maybe a better way to put it is ‘reengage with’ or ‘remind ourselves about’ — his ideas,” said Amanpal Garcha, associate professor of English. “An occasion like this one — that marks both Darwin’s life and the publication of his most important work — pushes us to experience some of the wonder and amazement that his ideas produced in Victorian England.”

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