Evolution Revolution
Evolutionary scientist and author Sean. B. Carroll will discuss the explorations and discoveries of pioneering naturalists such as Mary Leakey, Alfred Wallace, and Charles Walcott when he presents "Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origins of the Species."
The talk takes place on Monday, January 24, at 7:30 p.m. in Higley Auditorium. On Tuesday, January 25, during Common Hour, Carroll will give an informal talk on his own discoveries, also in Higley.
Carroll's lecture takes its title from his most recent book, which chronicles the quest for knowledge by a group of scientists with original ideas who faced dangerous obstacles. "Their achievements sparked a revolution that changed, profoundly and forever, our perception of the living world and our place in it," Carroll said in a recent lecture. The book was a National Book Award finalist for nonfiction in 2009.
Carroll is the vice president for science education at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and has been an institute investigator since 1990. He has spent his career studying the genetic components of evolution and development, identifying the molecular mechanisms that lead to new traits and species. His research focuses on the way new animal forms have evolved.
His knack for communicating complex ideas to the public in an entertaining and understandable manner is reflected in his monthly column in the New York Times and his service as a consulting producer for the Public Broadcasting television program NOVA. In March, he received the 2010 Stephen Jay Gould Prize for his efforts to advance the public understanding of evolutionary science.
Carroll's other books include The Making of the Fittest and Endless Forms Most Beautiful, the latter of which was named science book of the year by Discover magazine and USA Today. His Kenyon visit is part of the Faculty Lectureship Series.