Outline Brown Bag Discussion Group Evidence for Design in Nature
12:00 T; one evening session required (date TBD)
This discussion group will examine the origins of the diversity and complexity found in the biological world. Is this diversity and complexity the result of purely natural processes (the Blind Watchmaker), or is there evidence for design? Students will read contrasting articles by such authors as Richard Dawkins, Stephen Jay Gould, Hugh Ross, and Michael Behe, and critically analyze competing arguments.
Biology 111 highly recommended!
Texts: Selected readings; Richard Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker; Michael Behe, Darwin's Black Box
Course outline:
| Introduction to the course: Sept 8
The Big Bang Sept 15 Readings:Scientific American Presents: www.sciam.com/specialissues/0398cosmos/0398peebles.html Peeple, P., D. Schramm, and E. Turner. 1998. "The Evolution of the Universe". Scientific American Presents. The Big Bang (cont'd) Sept 22 www.sciam.com/specialissues/0398cosmos/0398linde.html Linde, A. 1998. "The Self-Reproducing Inflationary Universe". Scientific American Presents. The anthropic principle Sept 29 www.leaderu.com/orgs/arn/orpages/or102/ross1.htm Ross, H. 1997. "Cosmology Confronts the Creator" . Access Research Network 10(2). Maddox, J. 1989. "Down with the Big Bang" Nature (340), 425 (in the conference room) The origin of life October 6 Christian deDuve, "The Beginnings of Life on Earth, American Scientist, September-October 1995 The origin of life October 13 Stephen C. Meyer, "The Origin of Life and the Death of Materialism", Intercollegiate Review, Spring 1996 (in conference room) The origin of biological complexity October 20 The origin of biological complexity October 27 "Michael Behe responds to his critics" This Behe's response to Michael Orr's review of Darwin's Black Box, and also Orr's response to Behe's response. There's also a link to Orr's original review. We will focus on Orr's review, then Behe's response. Macroevolution November 3 Macroevolution November 10 Detection of design November 17 PBS Debate (evening session- approx. 3 hrs, including discussion) Summary of course |
Evidence for Design in Nature Readings for the big bang/anthropic principle: September 15, 22, 29.
Other readings for the 22 & 29 may follow!