Win Skeptics: Alfred Russell Wallace

Basingstoke Cafe Sci subscribers are invited to the talk hosted by Winchester Skeptics In The Pub. Tonight's talk is titled “James Williams – Alfred Russel Wallace” and is delivered by James Williams, Lecturer in Education, University of Sussex.

Winchester Skeptics hosts a guest speaker on the last Wednesday of every month. They provide an opportunity for people who are interested in science, skepticism, rationalism and critical thinking to socialise and discuss matters of interest.

WHAT'S THE EVENING ABOUT?
James Williams, Lecturer in Education, University of Sussex will talk about Alfred Wallace who famously sent Charles Darwin an outline of the theory of evolution by natural selection before Darwin had completed his major treatise on the subject. This prompted the publication of Origin of Species.

Did Darwin really steal the idea from Wallace? Was Wallace even aware of Darwin’s work on species and how does history see the two men? In this talk, James will examine the facts surrounding Wallace’s work on evolution and some of the more interesting episodes in Wallace’s life that saw him oppose Darwin in an infamous case of spiritualist fraud that ended in the Old Bailey.

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) was a man of many talents – an explorer, collector, naturalist, geographer, anthropologist and political commentator. Most famously, he had the revolutionary idea of evolution by natural selection entirely independently of Charles Darwin.

SPEAKER
James is a senior lecturer in science education at the University of Sussex. His PhD looked at the development and inclusion of the Nature of Science in the UK National Curriculum for science from 1988 – 2010.

He is an elected member (FGS) of The Geological Society of London, a member of the Association for Science Education (ASE), where he chairs the Publications Specialist Group. He is also a member of the Society of Authors and a member of the Editorial Board – School Science Review. He has appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live Investigates

He has written extensively for The Conversation, for Tes (formerly known as the Times Educational Supplement) and for local newspapers. He has research expertise in Creationism and Evolution in Education, History and Philosophy of Science, Initial Teacher Education, Science Education, Teaching ‘the nature of science’ & ‘the scientific method’, as well as Teaching and Learning.

THE VENUE:
Tonight the suggested donation (at the door) for each talk is £5 which doubles as an entry into a book raffle.

The Licensed front cafe bar at the Winchester Discovery Centre area will be open from 7.00pm. The talks for Winchester Skeptics in the Pub start at 7.30pm in the main theatre.