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Complex Systems and Changes. Darwin and Evolution: Nature-Culture Interfaces

2009 has marked the bicentennial of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species.

This conference gathered speakers from two different intellectual worlds: “hard” and “soft” sciences, i.e. biological sciences, humanities and social sciences. Speakers made a concerted effort to escape from their usual jargon and harmonise their semantics to avoid misunderstandings. This enabled the interdisciplinary exchange often sought but rarely achieved.

The conference aimed to achieve the following:

1. A summary of the success of using a Darwinist approach within different disciplines
2. Highlight insights from other disciplines in understanding biological evolution
3. Explore the potential for developing hybrid domains

To reach such aims round table discussions were facilitated by selected moderators. The conference was organised around the following four basic Darwinian principles:

• Variation and diversity (variations among individuals are the driver of evolution);
• Abundance (more offspring (progeny) are produced than would reach adulthood);
• Selection (the one best adapted to his environment has more chance of survival);
• Reproduction and transfer (organisms reproduce and pass on beneficial traits (inheritance).

For more information please visit the ESF Research Conferences website.

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