TORONTO, May 7, 2003 -- A York University symposium this Thursday brings together leading scholars and 270 Toronto area high school students to examine the current relevance of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection in the context of SARS and cloning.
The symposium, Darwin in the 21st Century: Evolution and its Cultural Implications, on Thursday, May 8, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., rekindles the debate about evolution versus creationism. It will examine how Darwin's theories lend to contemporary discussions on gene therapy and cloning, and what they reveal about new diseases such as SARS and the West Nile Virus.
"Darwin, like Copernicus and Galileo before him, forever changed science and how humans view themselves in relation to the natural world," said York Physics and Astronomy Prof. Paul Delaney. The purpose of this symposium is not only to demonstrate the importance of Darwin's ideas, but also to give high school students, interested in pursuing future degree studies in science, a taste of the intellectual exhilaration that awaits them."
Morning keynote speakers are Prof. Betty Smocovitis, (University of Florida) Deconstructing Darwin: The Man and the Myth and Prof. Peter Moens, (Biology, York U.) The Death of Adam.
A sample of afternoon symposium workshops follows:
Epidemics like SARS - Evolution in Action
Prof. Imogen Coe, Prof. Gill Wu (Biology, York U.) -- how SARS, AIDS and West Nile Virus arise and what happens to epidemics over time;
Biomedicine in the 21st Century
Prof. David Logan (Biology, York U.) -- the potential of DNA and cell research to lead to extraordinary breakthroughs in gene therapy, spinal cord regeneration and cloning;
Darwin, the Human Genome, and the New Eugenics
Prof. Jill Lazenby (Humanities, York U.) -- whether the human genome project and the new genetic technologies will result in a "new eugenics" through encouraging the proliferation of the "right" kinds of genes, and remove unwanted genes from the gene pool;
Darwin and World Affairs
Prof. Betty Smocovitis (University of Florida) -- Darwinism and its relation to foreign policies within imperial systems, beginning with social Darwinism during the British Empire era to an exploration of "American Empire" and recent U.S. foreign policy.
The symposium will convene in the Vanier College Lecture Hall, room 135, York University, 4700 Keele Street.
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For further information, please contact:
| Prof. Paul Delaney | Ken Turriff |
| Master, Bethune College | Media Relations |
| York University | York University |
| 416-736-2100, ext. 22035 | 416-736-2100, ext. 22086 |
| pdelaney@yorku.ca | kturriff@yorku.ca |
YU/046/03
