Darwin’s Sexy Science
August 14, 7:30 p.m., tickets $10
Margaret Greenham Theatre, The Banff Centre,
Box Office: 403.762.6301 or 1.800.413.8368
Presented as part of the 2009 Banff Summer Arts Festival
Charles Darwin had modern dating all figured out; from pick-up lines to jealousy, our dating scheme is the result of tens of thousands of years of evolution. To celebrate Darwin’s 200th birthday, Jay Ingram, one of Canada’s best-known science popularizers and host of the Discovery Channel’s “Daily Planet,” will speak at The Banff Centre about what Darwin’s theory of evolution can teach us about the rules of attraction. Darwin’s Sexy Science will be presented on August 14 in the Margaret Greenham Theatre as part of the 2009 Banff Summer Arts Festival.
“I think people would be shocked and surprised to learn how much of human mating behavior might be a hangover from Stone Age times and how much we share with other animals,” says Ingram. “Even jealous remarks have an evolutionary basis.” He adds that the topic is controversial in the science community, even 200 years after Darwin was born. “Some scientists claim that it’s all totally exaggerated and that we are culturally driven, and one even argues that it’s males who adhere to the evolutionary scenario with women being more flexible.”
Ingram has been sharing his passion for science since 1979, when he began hosting “Quirks and Quarks”, a science program on CBC Radio. A Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Alberta, Ingram’s international accolades include four honorary doctorate degrees and an appointment to the Order of Canada in 2009. He is also the current chair of The Banff Centre’s Science Communication program.
30
For more information about the 2009 Banff Summer Arts Festival: http://www.banffcentre.ca/bsaf/
