Charles Darwin's home is subject of talk at Darwin's 200th birthday celebration

Feb. 6, 2009 --  Arkansas State University-Jonesboro's Department of Biological Sciences will once again observe the birthday of Charles Darwin on Feb.12, 1809, with a pair of events. As part of the celebration of the 200^th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, a talk about Down House, Darwin’s residence for most of his life, will take place Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 4 p.m., in Laboratory Sciences Center, East Wing, Room 219. The presenter will be Dr. Aldemaro Romero, chair and professor of the Department of Biological Sciences at ASU.

Dr. Romero's presentation is one of the events planned to recognize Darwin’s birthday. An additional observation takes place on Feb. 12, at 4 p.m., in ASU's Hall of Science, where a birthday party, complete with cake, will be held in honor of Darwin. The public is invited to attend. (The Hall of Science is located in ASU's Laboratory Sciences Center, East Wing). Darwin's birthday celebration is also one of the many events carried out by ASU and other universities throughout the country to commemorate 2009 as the “Year of Science.”

During his presentation Dr. Romero will discuss what can be learned by studying Darwin’s house, where he lived for 40 years until his death. He will explain the history of the house, how Darwin lived in it, and how his home shaped his research, including the development of his theory of evolution by means of natural selection.

Dr. Romero has visited Down House on several occasions and has studied historical archives in search for a better understanding on the relationship between Darwin’s intellectual development and his home.

Dr. Romero teaches History of Biology and History and Philosophy of Science, and he has published several articles on the influence of Darwin on the explanation of evolutionary mechanisms among cave animals. He also has published articles about the philosophical issues regarding evolution and religion.

For more information about the conference, contact Dr. Aldemaro Romero at (870) 972-3082 or through e-mail at aromero@astate.edu.                               

###