Some of us worried that it would be a fizzle, but maybe not. Do Darwin faithful own evolution or does evidence matter even if thy did not sponsor it? Does it make any difference if they can’t plausibly explain it? We’ll see.
From Suzan Mazur’s new book on the Royal Society’s Public Evolution Summit:
It seems a long time in coming for those of us watching from the sidelines. But on November 7-9, 26 distinguished scientists will meet with a public audience of nearly 300 (including other distinguished scientists) at London’s Royal Society — the world’s oldest scientific organization—to present and discuss evidence for evolution paradigm shift and hopefully send the selfish gene, once and for all, into literary history.
The expectation is a hotly contested meeting. It’s a conversation that first made headlines in March 2008 with news of a private symposium of academics at “Altenberg!” was whether to extend the standard theory of evolution, otherwise known as the Modern Synthesis/neo-Darwinism.
Journalist Mazur is too modest to say that she is the principal reason anyone even knows about Altenberg, and probably the main force behind any public awareness of the need for accountability from the custodians of “evolution.”
For decades, they were able to get away with running a very poor show, way out of date, while bellering to dimwitted pop science writers about threats from “creationists.”
In November, they better come up with a better story than that.
Eight years after Altenberg, the meaning of the word “extend” is on the table with scientists now quibbling over whether “extend” means (1) amending the standard theory of evolution, (2) a parallel theory of evolution, or (3) a replacement of the Modern/Synthesis/neo-Darwinism. (P. 1, Public Evolution Summit)
Save a virtual seat. And get the book. This is the most interesting event since Gould and Lewontin’s attempted revolution against Darwinism back in the early ‘70s. They meant well but could not stand the heat.
Welcome, Asbestos People. Have a seat on the barbecue.
See also: Die, Selfish Gene
and
Some Altenberg 16 (= g’bye, Darwin, evolutionary biologists) have now organized the Oxford 50?
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