Life on Mars: Then and Now

Wednesday 23^rd July 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

With astronomer James Fradgley FRAS

Serious searches for evidence of life on Mars began in the 19th century and for many years it was believed there were canals on the planet’s surface. Astronomer Percival Lowell, even suggested they were built by an intelligent civilisation, but famed British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace severely criticised his claims and concluded that complex life on the planet was impossible. However, the search for life on Mars is far from over and continues today via astronomical observation and exploratory space missions.

In this well-illustrated presentation, distinguished astronomer James Fradgley will recount the fascinating history of the search for life on our planetary neighbour, and explain our current knowledge of, and future plans to increase our understanding of this most intriguing red planet.

Join us for a fascinating tale of curiosity, imagination and scientific ingenuity.

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed via its rear entrance in Gervis Road. The hotel has a small onsite car park, and roadside parking is also available in Gervis Road).

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Alfred Russel Wallace: A Life Explored

Wednesday 27^th February 7.30pm

The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

‘The 2013 Dennis Bannister Memorial Lecture’

Join us for a fascinating evening as David Croman relates the extraordinary life and achievements of Alfred Russel Wallace.
Wallace is best known as the co-founder, with Darwin, of the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, but he was also one of the greatest explorers, scientists, intellectuals, and writers of his time.

In this well-illustrated presentation, author and psychologist, David Croman recounts Wallace’s jungle adventures in Indonesia, Malaysia, South America and beyond. He will also be exploring Wallace’s immense contribution to science and evolutionary theory, as well as examining how his odd and sometimes quirky ideas led him down strange avenues.

Wallace spent the final years of his life living in Broadstone, Dorset, and was buried in Broadstone Cemetery after his death 100 years ago in 1913.

This lecture is in memory of Dennis Bannister who gave numerous talks to Dorset Humanists on Darwin, Wallace, and evolution.

David Croman is a local author, wildlife photographer, natural science lecturer and a former Secretary of Dorset Humanists.

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed from Gervis Road, which is better lit and has roadside parking).

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster.

Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Darwin Day Lunch & Darwin's Sacred Cause with Prof. James Moore

Darwin Day Lunch - Saturday, 26 February, 12.30pm (lunch) 2.00pm (talk)
Fifty Dorset Humanist members & friends have attended the special Darwin Day Lunch gathering for the past three years, so please book your place early. Friends are welcome if there are spaces available after 4th February.

Please complete the Darwin Day Lunch booking form as soon as possible and no later than Friday 4th February 2011.

Darwin's Sacred Cause 

In this fascinating talk after the Dorset Humanists Darwin Day Lunch best-selling author Professor James Moore, a world authority on Charles Darwin, will give a completely new explanation of how Darwin arrived at his famous view of evolution.  There has always been a mystery surrounding Darwin: how did this quiet, respectable gentleman, a pillar of his parish, come to embrace one of the most radical ideas in the history of human thought? With co-author Adrian Desmond, James Moore has written a prize-winning biography of Darwin in addition to "Darwin's Sacred Cause". He is Professor of the History of Science at the Open University and is currently researching the life of Alfred Russel Wallace who lived in Broadstone.