Dr. David Sloan Wilson

(Binghamton University)

ABSTRACT: The most disturbing fact about public awareness of evolution is not that roughly fifty percent of Americans don’t believe it, but that nearly one hundred percent don’t connect it to matters of importance in their lives. For most of the twentieth century, evolutionary theory was restricted to the biological sciences and avoided most human-related subjects. That is now rapidly changing, as virtually every human-related subject is being approached from an evolutionary perspective. As soon as evolution is perceived as unthreatening, explanatory, and useful for understanding the human condition and improving human welfare, it can become not just acceptable but irresistible.

THE SPEAKER: David Sloan Wilson is SUNY Distinguished Professor of Biology and Anthropology at Binghamton University. He applies evolutionary theory to all aspects of humanity in addition to the rest of life, both in his own research and as director of EvoS, a unique campus-wide evolutionary studies programme. He is known for championing the theory of multilevel selection, which has implications ranging from the origin of life to the nature of religion. His books include Darwin’s Cathedral: Evolution, Religion, and the Nature of Society (Chicago, 2002) and Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin’s Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives (Bantam, 2007).

TIME: 8:00 PM

DATE: Thursday, March 19th, 2009

PLACE: Oscar Peterson Concert Hall

Concordia University

7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal

For more information: (514) 848-2424 x 2595

The SCIENCE COLLEGE is part of Concordia University. It offers promising science undergraduates the opportunity to complement their regular curriculum with interdisciplinary training and early introduction to the methods of scientific research.