'IMPERFECTION IN EVOLUTION: Homo sapiens' & LUNCH AT OLIVES & PLATES
Details
I have been fascinated by the almost magical way that natural forces have shaped all species on our planet ever since I was a young, clueless Botany and Zoology student in the 1970s. To this day, I wonder about things like why some nations are fair and others dark, why and how we lost most of our body hair slowly but steadily over gazillions of years, how seemingly random markings on animal bodies became a formidable survival mechanism, how and why the Great Ape line developed opposable thumbs, and many more fascinating matters like these.
If you are also interested in human evolution, this insightful talk is for you!
Prof Telmo Pievani from the University of Padua in Italy will present this fascinating talk on how life’s anomalies, DNA errors and asymmetries have not only shaped our existence, but have been pivotal to the success and diversity of species, including ourselves, on earth. He will explore the laws of imperfection, the prevalence of seemingly costly or useless traits, including the ‘imperfections’ of the human brain. This engaging talk will challenge conventional notions of perfection and reveal how our flaws became some of our greatest assets in the journey of life.
Prof Pievani is a renowned Italian philosopher of science and an evolutionary biologist. A prolific author and esteemed science communicator, he has been a visiting scientist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and serves on the International Scientific Council of the Museum of Science in Trento. His dedication to making complex scientific concepts accessible has established him as a leading figure in public science education.
This event is brought to the South African public by the Italian Cultural Institute and the Embassy of Italy in Pretoria.
Entrance is free, but we must book, SO PLEASE GET YOUR COMMITTED RSVPs in early!
RSVP essential: [tammy.hodgskiss@wits.ac.za](mailto:tammy.hodgskiss@wits.ac.za)
Entrance: Adults R 90.00 / Pensioners R 70.00
Safe parking in front of the WITS Origins Centre.
For those interested, lunch afterwards at Olives & Plates at the WITS Club. 011 303 9282
Tel: 011 717 4707