Author of ‘Evolution and Belief’ tells why understanding evolution is less of a challenge to religious belief, and doesn’t make people into atheists – 105science
Dr Rob Asher shares evidence for the evolution of animals and sheds light on misunderstandings about science and religion. We also consider whether religious explanations of the natural world ought be included in school science education; whether teachers can be unaffected by their own beliefs and that science and religion do not explain the same things.
Dr Rob Asher is a lecturer and curator of vertebrates at the Cambridge Museum of Zoology. His recommended reading list:
Wallace Arthur: Evolution A Developmental Approach, Biased Embryos & Evolution
Sean Carroll: Endless Forms Most Beautiful, Making of the Fittest
Francis Collins: Language of God
Ken Miller: Finding Darwin’s God
Neil Shubin: Your Inner Fish
What’s on in Cambridge, England
Monday 22nd April 2013 from 6:00pm – The Polar Museum celebrate Earth Day with a free premiere of the film ‘Thin Ice: The Inside Story of Climate Science’. The film shows the astonishing scientific endeavour needed to understand climate change. Venue: The Polar Museum on Lensfield Road, Cambridge
Tuesday the 23rd April 2013 6:30 pm: a talk about Ink jet technology, which has come to be important for not just printing but also in electronics, solar panels, smart textiles and of course 3D printing. Industry expert Mike Willis will illustrate the achievements of the ink jet as it began in Cambridge, and also describe today’s nanotechnology processes. Venue: the Institute for Manufacturing, Charles Babbage Road.
Thursday 25th April 2013 – Natural History conservation evening with Tony Juniper and Andrew Balmford, author of Wild Hope, who chatted with us here on the science show. Great chap. Andrew and Tony will offer positive examples of conservation to inspire us towards a world of more balanced coexistence with nature. Venue: Heffers Book shop. Cost £6, details at.cam.ac.uk/whatson
Tuesday 30th April 7pm : A Skeptics in the Pub talk on Anthroposophy and Spiritual Science. This looks at the beliefs of the highly influential Rudolf Steiner, the founder of this occult movement. Steiner was a mystic who believed he had clairvoyant access to cosmic knowledge. He developed a belief system based on karma, reincarnation, astrology, and homeopathy. The talk describes the movement and discusses how it impacts on public life. Venue: the Maypole Pub, Portugal Place, Cambridge, UK
Tuesday 7th of May 7pm: A slice of Raspberry Pi – a talk about a powerful computer you can now buy in the shops, that looks like a piece of circuit board rather than a system box. One of the creators of the Raspberry Pi, Eben Upton, explains the design brief to make a computer so affordable that every child in Britain could have one. He’ll discuss the staggering response to the Raspberry Pi. At the Institute of Continuing Education in Madingley Hall.
For more info go to the university talks and what’s on websites at talks.cam.ac.uk
OR admin.cam.ac.uk/whatson