The British Humanist Association (BHA) last night held its 10th annual Darwin Day lecture, marking the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin 203 years ago. Presented by Dr Adam Rutherford, a science writer and broadcaster with a degree in evolutionary biology and a PhD in genetics, the lecture was devoted to examining creation and the origin of life.
The lecture was introduced by BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson, and chaired by Distinguished Support of the BHA (and Dr Rutherford’s former tutor) Professor Steve Jones. The highly amusing evening was an opportunity for the audience to hear about the current research and practical uses of this new area of science, and hear firsthand how this emerging specialism is transforming our lives.
With the theory of evolution being robustly verified over the last 152 years, we have reached a point where it is extremely unlikely to be replaced wholesale. A major outstanding question that Dr Rutherford based his lecture and research on concerns the origin of the first species, some 4 billion years ago.
He stated that, ‘We are inching towards a picture of how genesis occurred, primarily by experiments that try to replicate it. Similarly, the fusion of evolutionary theory with an understanding of genetics has gifted us an unprecedented ability to manipulate and create novel life-forms. This technology places us at the cusp of an industrial revolution, where the nuts and bolts are cells and DNA.’
The Darwin Day Lecture has always been devoted to topics that would have fascinated Charles Darwin, and Dr Rutherford’s presentation was certainly no exception. From the first sketches of the tree of life from Darwin’s notebooks in 1837, to the Hillis Plot (Science, 2003), and on to the net of life (Kunin et al. Genome Res. July 2005), the lecture focused on the prequel, and the sequel, to evolution, while showing how an idea sparked some of the most creative models for illustrating life as we know it, and how this has lead to even further developments.
Recently returned from United States, where he had the opportunity to look at the advances in synthetic biology and genetic engineering, (which has been reported to have led to computer-made life forms and cancer ‘assassin’ cells), Dr Rutherford discussed the implications of the ability to manipulate DNA, illustrating this with ‘spider-goats’ – goats that can produce spider silk – and cress which has been modified to detect unexploded landmines. The evening was inspiring, and left the audience questioning the almost limitless possibilities synthetic biology has for improving our lives.
A self-professed and proud geek, Dr Rutherford mostly writes about science, religion, and culture. He is currently an editor at the science journal Nature where he makes podcasts and short films. You can listen to his interview with The Pod Delusion here, and a video of the lecture, along with others from the BHA’s lecture series, can be seen on the BHA’s YouTube channel.
Notes
The Darwin Day Lecture is part of the BHA’s annual lecture programme, which also includes the Voltaire, Holyoake, Shelley and Bentham lectures.
For information about future BHA events, visit humanists.uk/meet-up/events
The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.