Arkansas Celebrates Darwin Day 2012 With Live and Broadcast Events

In honor of Charles Darwin’s achievements and passion for natural science, Arkansas universities and community organizations will celebrate Arkansas Darwin Day 2012 on Saturday, Feb. 11. 

A Darwin Day conference will be held on Sat., Feb. 11, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and will be broadcast at the same time in Fayetteville in Kimpel Hall 105 from noon to 5:30 p.m. University of Arkansas anthropology professor Michael Plavcan will speak at the conference on the subject of evolution and the place of humans in the natural world. Art Hobson, professor emeritus of physics, will introduce the broadcast event in Fayetteville with a presentation and question-and-answer session. The broadcast event is free and open to anyone interested in the scientific discussion.

“I think the event will be an exciting opportunity for students, faculty, and community members interested in fostering science education,” said Kathy Knierim, an instructor in the department of geosciences. “Darwin Day celebrates the advancement of humanity made possible by scientific knowledge, acquired through human curiosity and ingenuity.”

The broadcast event is sponsored by the department of geosciences and biological sciences, the Sigma Xi scientific research society, Sigma Gamma Epsilon — the honorary society of earth sciences — and the National Association of Black Geologists and Geophysicists.