Tag Archives: Evolution

Feb 12: 2013 Darwin Day Celebration!

2 Feb

February 12th is the birthday of Charles Darwin, and “Darwin Day” is a global celebration of science and reason. This will be the 5th celebration in Saskatoon and the 3rd year that the Saskatchewan Minister of Education has recognised February 12 as Darwin Day in Saskatchewan!

The University of Saskatchewan Freethought Alliance, Saskatoon Skeptics and Centre for Inquiry Saskatchewan are proud to host the annual Darwin Day celebration in Saskatoon on February 12 from 7-10 pm.

Come and help us celebrate Darwin’s 205th birthday with 2 presentations followed by discussions. Speakers this year are paleontologist Frank McDougall and biologist Tracy Marchant. Tracy Marchant’s talk, “The Animal Tree of Life”, will focus on the changes in our understanding of evolution, particularly of vertebrates, since Darwin’s time.  Frank McDougall will speak on how the geography of the Cypress Hills Uplands area affected the flora and fauna in that area.

Birthday cake and coffee will be available and the Museum of Natural Sciences is nearby for touring and working on a scavenger hunt.

Schedule of Events (subject to change):

6:30 pm Doors open

7:00 pm Introduction & 1st Presentation

8:15 pm Birthday Cake & Coffee; Museum Touring

8:45 pm 2nd Presentation

10:00 pm Pub Discussion (anyone interested can join us for further discussion & cheer – at nearby Alexander’s Restaurant)

You are welcome to attend all or any part of the event.

Donations are welcome and appreciated. Suggested donation: $10 (not required). Charitable donations to the Centre for Inquiry Saskatchewan are eligible for a tax receipt if contact information is provided.

Come out for an evening celebrating science!

If you are not familiar with campus, please have a look at this map.
Here are some parking suggestions that are near the biology building. Most should have a maximum of $4.00 to park there in the evening.

  • Lot 5 beneath Agriculture Building
  • Lot 1 across from Place Riel
  • Lot 8 by Physics
  • F lot beside the education building
  • G lot behind Thorvalson
  • Meters will cost $1/hr with a 4 hour maximum

We are looking for volunteers to help with the following tasks:

1) Putting up posters – ASAP

2) Event set-up – 6:15pm Feb 12
3) Event assistance (e.g. door greeter, sales table, display table, speaker contact at event) – during event Feb 12
4) Event clean-up – 9:45-10:15pm Feb 12 (some may be done during the last lecture, so that we can get out and to the pub discussion promptly;)

Please email Kendra if you are able to help out in any way.

Tags: , , , ,

February 12th: 2012 Darwin Day Celebration

31 Jan

Sunday, February 12, 2012, 1:00 PM

112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK

Enter the Biology/Geology building, walk ahead past the displays and through some doors, turn left

February 12th is the birthday of Charles Darwin, and “Darwin Day” is a global celebration of science and reason. The Minister of Education has recognised February 12, 2012 as Darwin Day in Saskatchewan!

The University of Saskatchewan Freethought Alliance, Saskatoon Skeptics and Centre for Inquiry Saskatchewan are proud to host the fourth annual Darwin Day celebration in Saskatoon on February 12 from 1:00-5:00 pm.

Come and help us celebrate Darwin’s 203rd birthday with 2 presentations followed by discussions. Speakers this year are from the U of S Biology department: Prof. José Andrés and Prof. Dick Neal (Emeritus). Birthday cake and coffee will be available and the Museum of Natural Sciences is nearby for touring and working on a scavenger hunt.

Schedule of Events (subject to change):

1:00 pm Introduction & 1st Presentation

2:45 pm Birthday Cake & Coffee; Museum Touring

3:15 pm 2nd Presentation

5:30 pm Pub Discussion (anyone interested can join us for further discussion & cheer – probably at nearby Alexander’s)

You are welcome to attend all or any part of the event.

Donations are welcome and appreciated. Suggested minimum donation: $10 (not required). Charitable donations to the Centre for Inquiry Saskatchewan are eligible for a tax receipt if contact information is provided.

Come out for an afternoon celebrating science!

We are looking for volunteers to help with the following tasks:
1) Event set-up – 12:30pm Feb 12
2) Event assistance (e.g. door greeter, sales table, display table, speaker contact at event) – during event Feb 12
3) Event clean-up – 5-6pm Feb 12 (some may be done during the last lecture, so that we can get out and to the pub discussion promptly;)

Please email Kendra if you are able to help out in any way.

Tags: , , , , , ,

February 12th: 2011 Darwin Day Celebration!

28 Jan

February 12th is the birthday of Charles Darwin, and “Darwin Day” is a global celebration of science and reason. The Minister of Education has designated February 12, 2011 as Darwin Day in Saskatchewan!

The Saskatoon Skeptics and Saskatoon Freethinkers aka Centre for Inquiry Saskatchewan are proud to host the third annual Darwin Day celebration in Saskatoon on February 12 from 1:00-5:30 pm. Come and help us celebrate Darwin’s 202nd birthday with a film and 2 presentations followed by discussions. Birthday cake and coffee will be available outside the theatre.

We are hosting this event in conjunction with The Saskatoon Secular Family Network which will put on Family Activities from 1:30-4:00 pm. Children of all ages are welcome; all minors require a guardian. There will be fun science experiments and activities for the entire family (RSVP here). This will take place in the “band room” of the school – look for the signs!

Schedule of Events:
1:00-2:30 pm Introduction & Film (part)
What Darwin Never Knew
2:30-3:00 pm Birthday Cake & Coffee; Displays and Activities
3:00-4:00 pm 1st Presentation
Prof. Larry Stewart,Department of History
4:00-4:15 pm Break
4:15-5:30 pm 2nd Presentation
Prof. Angela Lieverse, Department of Archaeology & Anthropology
5:30 pm Pub Discussion (anyone interested can join us for further discussion & cheer – location TBD)
1:30-4:00 pm Family Activities

You are welcome to attend all or any part of the event.

Donations are welcome and appreciated. Suggested minimum donation: $10 (not required). Charitable donations are eligible for a tax receipt if relevant information is provided.

Come out for an afternoon celebrating science!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Guest Speaker Chris diCarlo: “We Are All African”

17 Jul

The Saskatoon Freethinkers are excited to announce a special public event.

When: Tuesday, August 10, 2010 6:30 PM
Where: Frances Morrison Public Library
311 – 23rd St. E.
Saskatoon, SK S7K 0J6
975-7558

Dr. Chris diCarlo will give a talk related to his recent Free Inquiry article (PDF) titled We are all African! Can scientific proof of our commonality save us?

His lecture tour We Are All African has been presented across North America and has helped raised awareness of evolutionary theory and funding for the Bracelet of Hope campaign, which is a charity raising money for an HIV awareness program and the Tšepong HIV/Aids clinic in Lesotho, Africa.

——————————————————————————–
Agenda

6:30 pm Doors Open
7:00 pm Welcome and Lecture followed by questions
9:00 pm Social

We’ll probably continue the discussion at a pub.
No food or drink is allowed in the theatre, but there will be coffee available outside the room.

Free admission (donations appreciated) – Minimum suggested donation: $10
——————————————————————————–
Short Biography

Ontario’s Best Lecturer 2008 and Canada’s Humanist of the Year 2008, Christopher diCarlo is a Philosopher of Science and Ethics whose interests in cognitive evolution have taken him into the natural and social sciences.

His personal research focuses on how and why humans reason, think, and act the way they do. He is interested in how and why the human brain has evolved to its current state and what cross-cultural and cross-species behaviour can provide insight into universally common modes of reasoning. He is also interested in the application of neuroscience (specifically fMRI work), in an effort to better understand psychoneuroendocrine feedback looping in problem solving.

Dr. diCarlo is a Fellow/Advisor with the Centre for Inquiry Canada. His most recent book (just released by McGraw-Hill Ryerson) is entitled How to Become a Really Good Pain in the Ass: A Practical Guide to Thinking Critically.

He is also a past Visiting Research Scholar at Harvard University in the Department of Anthropology and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology where he conducted research for two books he is currently writing called The Comparative Brain: The Evolution of Human Reasoning and The Evolution of Religion: Why Many Need to Believe in Deities, Demons, and the Unseen.

As an outspoken activist for freethought, humanism, and secularism, Dr diCarlo supports and is a life member of the Humanist Association of Canada and the Society of Ontario Freethinkers. He is also a board advisor to Freethought TV, an annual workshop presenter at Camp Quest Ontario, and has given many enlightening talks at numerous humanist events across the country. He was also the first Atheist invited to speak at the annual World Religions Conference in Kitchener, Ontario.

——————————————————————————–
There is an article about diCarlo and the controversy this topic caused in Humanist Perspectives.

If anyone would like to donate to this event, you can do that in person at our meetup on July 18 and you can also send mail to

Saskatoon Freethinkers
Box 31043 RPO Broadway & Taylor
Saskatoon, SK, S7H 5S8

This is a bit short notice, but was a great opportunity because Chris is driving through Saskatchewan on a lecture tour. We hope everyone will try to attend and support this event. Tell your friends and help us get the word out!

We are looking for volunteers to help out on the day of the event with greeting, set up, and clean up. Let us know if you are willing to lend a hand.

RSVP to this event on Facebook or on our Meetup site at http://www.meetup.com/Saskatoon-Freethinkers/calendar/14127550/.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.