Our next lecture willtake place on Wednesday June 10th at 8.00pm in the Davenport Hotel, Merrion Square, Dublin 2.

Nigel Monaghan, Geologist and keeper of the Natural History Museum will present on the above topic. Nigel has kindly sent us the following abstract:

The collection of bones of ice age mammals in the National Museum of Ireland reveal a great deal about the last 40,000 years. Climate changed in cycles as did the animals that inhabited the changing landscapes. For well over a century there has been evidence of the presence of woolly mammoths, giant deer and even spotted hyenas in our ice age faunas. Radiocarbon dating has been used to put these ancient faunas in context. Recent work using new techniques has allowed these bones to be examined for DNA, showing patterns of family relationships. New studies on our modern faunas are beginning to identify native animals from those introduced by our ancestors. Even today new animals are arriving, with as yet unknown impacts on our environment.

Admission is €3 for members and concessions and €6 for nonmembers.

Paul O’Donoghue.

The next lecture in our series will take place on Wednesday June 10th in the Davenport Hotel, Merrion Square, Dublin 2 at 8.00pm. The speaker is Nigel Monaghan, keeper of the Natural History Museum. In keeping with previous Darwinian themes, he will present on “Ice age mammals: tales of extinction and survival”.

Full details will be posted next week.

Paul O’Donoghue.

The next lecture in our series will take place on Wednesday April 8th at 8.00pm in the Davenport Hotel, Merrion Square, Dublin 2. The speaker is Professor John Sweeney from the Department of Geography, NUI Maynooth. Professor Sweeney has sent us the following abstract:

Despite an overwhelming scientific consensus regarding the human contribution to recent climate change, a significant sceptical community still exists. This talk will examine the basis for sceptical views and briefly examine the backgrounds of its adherents. The nature of global climate change will be discussed, together with techniques for downscaling global perspectives to an Irish scale. The impacts of climate change on various aspects of the Irish environment will be examined with a view to identifying where, when and by how much various sectors will be affected. Mitigation and adaptation strategies will be outlined in the context of national and international efforts to address what is likely to be the major problem facing humankind this coming century.

Admission: €3 for members and concessions. €6 for non-members.

The next ISS lecture will take place in the Davenport Hotel, Merrion Square on Wednesday April 8th at 8pm. Please note the change of date from the previous, preliminary notice.

Professor John Sweeney, Dept of Geography, Maynooth, will address us on the topic of assessing and responding to climate change in Ireland. Further details will be posted during the next few days.

Paul O’Donoghue.

February 12th next marks the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin. We celebrate the occasion on the eve of the anniversary with a presentation by Professor Tom Hayden, School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin. The title of professor Hayden’s lecture is “Charles Darwin and the Origin of Humans”.

The lecture will take place at 8.00pm on Wednesday February 11th in the Davenport Hotel, Merrion Square, Dublin 2. Admission for members is €3 and for guests, €6.

This presentation will review the early life of Charles Darwin and the circumstances that brought him to his theory of evolution by natural selection. His views on the origin of humans will be considered particularly in the light of the evidence available to him. Finally the rapid accumulation of palaeontological and genetic evidence since Darwin’s death and how it has shaped our current ideas on the origin and affinities of humans will be outlined.

We look forward to an enlightening and uplifting evening in contrast to the current economic doom and gloom and inclement weather. We hope to see many of you there.

Paul O’Donoghue.

Upcoming events in our lecture series are as follows:

Wednesday February 11th. Professor Tom Hayden,UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, will address us on the topic of Charles Darwin and Human Evolution. We are very pleased to host this lecture on the eve of Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday. The lecture will be held at 8.00pm in the Davenport Hotel, Merrion Sq., Dublin 2. Full details will be posted next week.

Wednesday April 1st. Professor John Sweeney, Department of Geography, NUI Maynooth, will address us on the topic of assessing and responding to climate change in Ireland. This lecture will take place in the same venue.

Wednesday June 10th. Geologist and Keeper of the Natural History Museum, Nigel Monaghan, will address us on the topic of ice age mammals, tales of survival and extinction. This lecture is in keeping with a broad Darwinian theme to which we will return during the remainder of 2009 and will also take place in the Davenport hotel.

The topics outlined above constitute working titles and full details and abstracts will be posted closer to the time of each presentation.

Paul O’Donoghue.

Please note that the post below re: Julian Baggini’s lecture had the wrong date on it for the first two days of posting. The correct date as now amended is TUESDAY NOV. 18TH. I’m sorry for confusion caused.

Paul O’Donoghue.

The next ISS lecture will take place on TUESDAY NOV. 18TH at 8.00pm in the Gandon Suite of the Davenport Hotel, Merrion Square, Dublin 2. The speaker is Julian Baggini, philosopher and author. Find out more about Julian and his work at www.JulianBaggini.com.

His latest book is “The duck that won the lottery”. In this he catalogues 100 types of bad argument and rhetorical moves, all of which are often persuasive. With examples, he will talk about factors common to several species of bad argument and ask how we might be able to make ourselves more resistant to their lure.

Come along and add to your critical thinking toolkit.

Admission to the lecture is €3 for members and concessions and €6 for non-members.

Regular attenders please note the change of night!

Paul O’Donoghue.

This year TCD celebrates 50 years of genetics. As part of the celebrations they are hosting a conference from September 17th to 20th. On Saturday the 20th from 11.00am to 6.00pm there will be a public symposium on “The Secret of Life: Genetics in the 21st Century”. The full programme is available at www.genetics50.org/programme.php.

The public symposium covers contributions from genetics to areas such as evolution, health, forensics, stem cells, understanding HIV and feeding the world. Speakers include Prof. Steve Jones, Prof. Paul Sharp, Prof. Patrick Cunningham and Prof. Stephen Minger.

Paul O’Donoghue.

Many of you on our mailing list will have received a notice that I was to appear in a debate on tonights Dave Fanning show. Unfortunately, my opponent in the debate withdrew at short notice and the slot has been cancelled. The debate was to centre on the work of Ciarán Handley, director of Anú Healing. Handley, who has a background in engineering is advertising a two year course in Intuitive Healing at a cost of €2,200 per year. The course runs over eight weekends per year. His website is worth a visit at www.anucentre.ie. In particular, it is worth noting his disclaimer in the face of EU legislation. He bemoans the fact thet the onus is now on claimants such as himself to demonstrate the efficacy of their claims. He therefore states that the views expressed on the website are his alone and not claimed as true. This does not stop him claiming elsewhere on the site that “This work is consistently demonstrable and verifiable” which might reasonably suggest to many site visitors that there is some significant truth in it. He is due to give a free talk on Friday next at 6.30pm in the Oscailt Centre, 8 Pembroke Rd., Dublin 4. If any of you make it along I’d be interested to hear your feedback. It’s open to all, but it might be best not to wear your skeptics t-shirt.

I will write a more detailed critique of his various claims in the next issue of Skeptical Times which we are currently labouring over!

Paul O’Donoghue.