On the Origin of Species Turns 150

Did you know that November 24, 2009 marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species? In honor of this momentous occasion, we'll be celebrating throughout November.

Upcoming Events:

What The Origin Means to Me
Visit our Museum blog from November 1 to 24 for 24 views on The Origin. Do you have your own story about what The Origin means to you? Send us a submission (no more than a few paragraphs please) and we'll post it on our blog and on our facebook page as we count down to the anniversary. Email your thoughts to kepner@museumoftheearth.org.

"Why Everyone Should Read On The Origin of Species"
Friday, November 20
Doors 6:00, Lecture 6:30
Tickets $10
Join us for an evening lecture on Friday, November 20 led by our Director, Warren Allmon. He'll be discussing why Darwin's book - though 150 years old - continues to hold great importance in our modern day lives. Light hors d'oeuvres and wine will be served.
Purchase your ticket in advance by calling 607.273.6623 x11, clicking here, or at the Museum admissions desk. Tickets also available at the door.

On the Origin of Species Book Discussion
Sunday, November 22
1 p.m.
Join our Director, Warren Allmon, for a guided discussion of On the Origin of Species. You can get a copy of the book from the Museum store, your favorite local bookseller, or find the text for free by visiting Darwin Online. If you can't finish the whole book by the 22nd, Warren recommends that you read the last chapter of the book (6th edition) on which we'll be focusing. This program is included with Museum admission, free for members.

A "New" Origin?
November 24th, 2009 marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of On The Origin of Species. Here at the Museum, around the county, and around the world people are finding ways to commemorate this landmark in our understanding of evolution. Creationists aren’t missing this opportunity to spread their message, either. To that end, on November 19th Ray Comfort and Living Waters are giving away more than 100,000 copies of an abridged version (4 chapters crucial to Darwin’s argument, including 2 on biogeography and one linking morphology, embryology, and evolution, and Darwin’s introduction have been excised) of The Origin to universities across the US. This new version includes an introduction written by Ray Comfort that Eugenie Scott of the National Center for Science Education describes as “a hopeless mess of long-ago-refuted creationist arguments, teeming with misinformation about the science of evolution, populated by legions of strawmen, and exhibiting what can be charitably described as muddled thinking.”

PRI outreach staff will join Cornell students on Thursday, November 19th to provide resources for students to find more information on evolutionary biology. Look for us on the Cornell Campus wherever the “new” version of The Origin is being distributed. Additionally, we have endorsed an open letter to the Cornell community by Cornellians for Science, Logic, and Reason, which can be found by clicking here.

Read about the evidence for evolution and learn more about the "New" Origin here.