The Flaws of nature

The Flaws of nature

Categories: Lectures and Seminars | Intended for

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Location Details

Sunnyside Branch of the Ottawa Public Library (1049 Bank Street in Old Ottawa South)

Contact Information

Andrea Lawrance, 613-520-2600 x/2616, andrea.lawrance@carleton.ca

Registration

Open - Register Now

Cost

Free

About this Event

Host Organization: Faculty of Science
More Information: Please click here for additional details.

Explore Science through Carleton’s popular Science Cafe series! All are welcome at these entertaining and informative public presentations. The next cafe features Professor Andrew Simons discussing natural bloopers and and how they can be understood within an evolutionary framework.

ABSTRACT: The living world seems to provide an endless array of examples of exquisitely designed features: adaptations that allow survival under harsh conditions, that provide impeccable camouflage, that entice insects to transfer a flower’s pollen, etc. However, some features seem to make absolutely no sense from a design perspective. A famous example is the panda’s “thumb” fashioned from the wristbone. Using the power of errors to reveal how things work, Dr. Simons will explore examples of what appear to be natural bloopers and how they can be understood within an evolutionary framework.

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