Skeptic: Promoting Science and Critical Thinking

2009 marks the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth on February 12, 1809 — the same day as Abraham Lincoln — and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species on November 24, 1859. Come join us for a special celebration of the life and science of one of the greatest scientists in history. Historian of science Dr. Michael Shermer reviews the remarkable life of Darwin and explains how he arrived at his theory of evolution. Paleontologist and geologist Dr. Donald Prothero gives a brief overview of how evolutionary theory has changed since Darwin’s time. Caltech biologist Dr. Joel Smith explains systems biology which allows us to construct detailed logic maps of the “circuitry” of living organisms known as Regulatory Networks. By comparing Regulatory Networks from different species we can see how the program has changed over the course of evolution, and we can identify the precise changes in DNA sequences that have created those changes.