Evolution! Jacobs University Summer School summarizes research on Darwin’s groundbreaking ideas

Triggered a cultural and intellectual revolution 150 years ago: Charles Darwin's publication of a biological evolution theory

From June 28 to July 5, 2009, on the occasion of the International Darwin Year, Jacobs University hosts the interdisciplinary Summer School "Steps in Evolution: Perspectives from Physics, Biochemistry and Cell Biology 150 Years after Darwin". 20 renowned scientists from all over Europe, India, Japan, and Canada will present and discuss relevant and recent research on the theory of evolution with about 60 graduate students and postdocs, who will convene on the Jacobs campus from all over the world. The summer school is supported by the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation and organized by Hildegard Meyer-Ortmanns, Professor of Physics at Jacobs University, and Stefan Thurner, head of the Complex Systems Research Group at Medical University of Vienna.

200 years after Charles Darwin’s birthday and 150 years after the publication of his main scientific oeuvre "On the Origin of Species", which marks the beginning of modern evolution theory and which has revolutionized Western culture, the discussion of Darwin’s central theses and their scientific validation is as relevant as ever. Especially in the U. S., but also increasingly in Europe, the biologically based theory of evolution is contested by the so called creationists, who believe in an immediate intervention of a divine Maker in the process of species creation and development. Emulating the proponents of the biological theory of evolution, the creationists invoke scientific data as evidence for their point of view.

This year’s Heraeus Summer School at Jacobs University therefore focuses on scientific methodology and modelling, which has been and is being used to research the various steps in evolution: from the origin of the universe to the emergence of the very first single-celled organisms on earth, the growth, diversification and extinction of species, right up to cultural evolution of diverse societies and even the human attempt to emulate evolution by artificially reconstructing simplest life forms.

Which questions have to be answered by scientists to research a process, which took place over a time span of several million years? Which of these questions can actually be answered? Which methods of prediction, verification and falsification of evolution theories have been developed and which proved to be successful scientific tools? These are some of the central questions the summer school will examine from the perspective of various disciplines: Theoretical and Statistical Physics, Biophysics, Biochemistry and Cell Biology as well as references to the Social Sciences.

For program and speaker information, please see: www.jacobs-university.de/stepsinevolution/