Life, the Universe & Everything
Bacteria do it, amoebas do it, ants and bees do it, humans do it; we all achieve wonders by working together. How does order emerge from the chaos of our lives?
Sunday 28th February 2010 / 11.00am - 5.30pm
Sallis Benney Theatre, Grand Parade, Old Steine, BN2 0JY
£10.00 / Concessions £6.00
The day's talks follow the course of evolution in search of the link between all living things, and where we fit into the pattern.
Each talk is followed by break-out sessions, led by experts, to explain and discuss the topics.
Full catering facilities are available for snacks, drinks and light meals.
11.00 am Life Ascending
Groundbreaking new research has shown how primitive life emerged from the chaos of the deep oceans’ hydrothermal vents, where scalding hot alkaline waters from the Earth’s crust scorched through rich seams of minerals and acids, creating, among other things, RNA precursors to DNA. Nick Lane gives a blow-by-blow account of creation.
12.00 am Organized Chaos
The harder you look at amoebas and bacteria, the smarter they seem. Not individually of course, but they have uncanny abilities when they work together. We are beginning to understand the simple rules they follow to produce astounding results, from spore dispersal systems to successful outwitting of the body's immune system.
2.00 pm Strength in Numbers
Ants and bees manage to form complex societies even though each individual insect has little idea what is happening beyond the reach of its antennae. Using simple chemical signals – pheromones – they are capable of miracles of coordination; foraging, rearing their young, building nests and repelling invaders.
3.00 pm Social Brains and Social Networks
The human brain is highly social, with many psychological devices to help us live in large , complex groups. Mark Van Vugt shows the evolutionary reasons for altruism, democracy, loyalty and leadership.
4.30 pm The Mirror of Nature
The producers of the BBC film, The Secret Life of Chaos show how simple mathematical formulae, programmed into a computer, can produce perfect simulations of nature, a blend of chaos and order. Is this the answer to life, the Universe and everything?
