Idaho State University Chapter of Sigma Xi sponsors four events in celebration of Darwin Day on Feb. 6, 7, 12 and 14

The Idaho State University Chapter of Sigma XI, the Scientific Research Society, will sponsor four public events in February related to Darwin Day, a global celebration of science and reason.

Darwin Day is officially Feb. 12. The ISU Chapter of Sigma XI has the following events planned:

• Wednesday, Feb. 6, 5 p.m.  – The ISU Sigma Xi monthly Science Café’s topic will be  "Evolutionary Science Today." This informal discussion with expert panelists will held at the Portneuf Valley Brewing at 615 S First Ave. in Pocatello. Refreshments will be provided.

• Thursday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m. – University of Utah Distinguished Professor of Anthropology Henry Harpending will present the lecture "Recent Rapid Human Evolution: Some Implications for the Humanities and Sciences."  The author of three books and more than 100 refereed publications, Harpending is a world leader in the science of anthropological genetics, human demography and human evolutionary biology His most recent book is "The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution" co-authored with G. Cochran and published by Basic Books in 2009.

• Tuesday, Feb. 12, starting at 9 a.m. and continuing throughout the day – A reading of Darwin's  "The Origin of Species" at the Pond Student Union Bengal Cafe. Volunteer readers are welcome.

• Thursday, Feb. 14, 4 pm. – Showing of the award-winning film "Flock of Dodos: The Evolution-Intelligent Design Circus" by Randy Olson in Room 117 of the ISU Plant Science Auditorium.

For more information on these events, or to volunteer for the reading, visit the Sigma Xi website http://isu.edu/sigmaxi/ or contact Dr. Steve Lawyer at lawystev@isu.edu.

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