Date/Time

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Allentown Brew Works
812 W Hamilton St
Allentown, Pennsylvania

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“Darwin Day” is just around the corner!

The Life and Times of Charles Darwin

Speaker: Frank Stone

When Britishers rank their great men and women, Charles Darwin always finds a place high up among the top ten.  His On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection is the most important scientific publication of the 19th century.  As has been noted by many, one cannot understand biology except in the light of Darwinian evolution.  So let’s examine the life and times of Charles Darwin, paying particular attention to the events that led him to his revolutionary theory.  We will look at his family, his early life, the colorful Voyage of the Beagle, his marriage to his cousin Emma, his life at Downe House, the tragic death of his beloved daughter Annie, and finally the unexpected letter from Alfred Russell that impelled a very reluctant Mr. Darwin to finally publish his theory.  I hope we can profit from our investigation of this fascinating, brilliant, and when all is said and done, rather likable man.

The Speaker:  PhD in Electrical Engineering from what is now The Polytechnic Institute of New York.  Worked on a variety of research projects: microwave and laser communication, plasma physics, integrated optics, and fiber optics.  Taught at Brooklyn Poly (the school’s old nickname) for 14 years and was a Member of Technical Staff of Bell Labs for 20 years. Since retiring, has been fascinated by the life sciences, particularly evolutionary theory and what goes on in the human body and mind.