Darwin Day: "Evolution, Science, Philosophy, Society and Law"

NSW Humanists Meetup's Darwin Day Talk on Sunday 12 February 2023 at 3.00-500 pm will be titled: "Evolution, Science, Philosophy, Society and Law - in context".

The presentation will be led by NSW Humanist Society's Vice-President, John August.

We know that Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selction is a superior explanation for what we see around us than Creationism. But 'Better than Creationism' is a low bar to leap over.

John August has recently become intrigued about how well evolutionary theory follows scientific expectations. John wants to explore some of the side passages around evolutionary theory in its relation to other things.

The philosopher Karl Popper wondered just how satisfying an "appeal to large numbers" can be - perhaps not as satisfying as what you'd normally think of as a "scientific" explanation. John August will attempt to address such concerns in his talk..

Once upon a time 'natural philosophy' was about the search for "ultimate causes". Somewhere along the way, modern biology became akin to "a rich story drawn from a reasonable set of assumptions". John will take a look at some of that history.

And what happens when all the institutions collide in the courts, as they try to decide what "science" is and what ought to be taught in schools? For, when it comes down to the crunch, it becomes very hard to figure out exactly what "science" is.

Come and share in the discussion.