CWU Celebrates 200th Birthday Of Science Legend Charles Darwin

February 5, 2009

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Central Washington University is set to celebrate Charles Darwin's 200th birthday with a weeklong series of events. This marks the eighth year Central has taken part in the annual Darwin Day Celebration honoring Darwin's life and discoveries. This year's celebration at CWU promotes public understanding of science in general and evolution in particular.

In addition to observing Darwin's 200th birthday, this also marks the 150-year anniversary of the publication of his "The Origin of Species."

Central's Darwin Week celebration kicks off Monday, Feb 9 with a one-woman play, "Blue Lias, or the Fish Lizard's Whore," that focuses on the life and trials of 19th century English fossil collector Mary Anning. Written and performed by Claudia Stevens, with music by Allen Shearer, the performance begins at 7 p.m. in the SURC Ballroom.

On Thursday, February 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the SURC Theater, Dr. David Barash, world-renowned author and scientist, will present "Evolutionary Hangovers, or the Tortoise and the Hare Updated." According to Barash, "In Homo sapiens, biological evolution (the tortoise) is uniquely paired with cultural evolution (the hare), and that the tension between the two generates not only much of the glory of being human, but many of the disasters as well."

Then, on Friday, February 13, Barash will present "Redirected Aggression Revisited: Exploring the Roots of Animals and Human Violence" at noon in room 216 of the Science Building.

Central's Dr. David Darda, professor of biological sciences, will present "Andy Rooney's Eyebrows and the Fountain of Youth" on Thursday, February 12 at noon in room 216 of the Science Building. CWU faculty and students will also present "The Lighter Side of Evolution" on Thursday, February 12 at 3 p.m. in the Science Building, room 147.

All CWU Darwin Week events are free and open to the public. For persons of disability to arrange for reasonable accommodation, call 509-963-3537, or (for the hearing impaired) TDD 509-963-2143. For more information on Central's celebration, contact Kariann Taylor at 509-963-2807. More information on Darwin Day can be found at www.darwinday.org.

Media Contact: Teri Olin, CWU Public Relations & Marketing, 509-963-1416, olint@cwu.edu

Central Washington University is a master's degree-granting institution with approximately 10,000 students and 1,500 faculty and staff. More than 160 undergraduate and master's degrees are offered. Founded in 1891, the Ellensburg campus is located in the heart of Washington State, nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River. Since 1975, CWU has served the needs of placebound students at six university centers throughout the state. CWU is an AA/EEO Title IX Institution.