Darwin at 200, Human Nature at a Few Million, A Myth Dispelled

Saturday, Feb 14, 1:30 pm Public & FREE

Dennis K. McBride, Ph.D., Potomac Institute for Policy Studies,
Georgetown University Medical School
Georgetown University Public Policy Institute

National Science Foundation, Room 110
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA (Map)

This talk first reviews some of the least known but important elements of Charles Darwin’s portfolio as he published “Origins” in 1859, and “Descent of Man” in 1871. (For example, Darwin was, fortunately for us, very prone to sea sickness.) Focusing on the evolution of humanity and on natural selection’s counterpart, sexual selection, Darwin’s 1871 book re-fueled a firestorm, one that still burns today. Poll numbers show that a significant proportion of today’s population does not accept Darwinism as applied to humans. Darwin foresaw and actually embraced this resistance. More importantly, a significant proportion of adults, including academics, accept human evolution but eschew the idea of a DNA-supported (i.e., not genetically determined) “human nature.” At least three evolved characteristics of human evolution make the species very different from its closest relatives: the opposable thumb, bipedalism, and the encephalized brain (which increased in size by a factor of 3 over the past few million years). Dr. McBride will touch on interesting examples of evolved human nature, including pregnancy sickness and male preference for mates with certain waist/hip ratios. With these, we will examine the way in which the realities of bipedalism and encephalization explain birth-related injury, and how this consideration undermines one of the most troublesome socio-legal myths of our time: the myth of shaken baby syndrome.

Dennis K. McBride, Ph.D. is Academic President of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, a Washington area think tank dedicated to the provision of science and technology policy expertise to the administration, congress, and the judiciary. Members of the Institute remain actively engaged in the scientific disciplines for which they provide expertise. McBride is an evolutionary psychologist with an extensive background in the science of human evolution. His most recent book, Quantifying Human Information Processing (Rowman & Littlefield) is followed by a soon to be released, co-authored treatment of Best Available Science. As an active adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University’s medical school and Public Policy Institute, he has also held appointments as professor in colleges of engineering and arts and sciences.

* NSF is one block south of the Ballston-Marymount University metro stop on the Orange Line. For most drivers the easiest route is to exit Route 66 onto Fairfax Dr. eastbound to N. Stuart Street. Enter the NSF building at the corner of N. Stuart Street and 9th St. N. Parking is available in the Ballston Common mall, in the NSF building, and at other area parking lots and garages. Metered parking is also available on the surrounding streets. (Map)

Skeptical Eye, Volume 20-1 2009

• Current events
• Prez sez
• 20 Years Ago
• 20th Greetings
• Robert Park Receives Klass Award
• Skeptic on the Loose!
• Brunch at Jackie’s with James Randi
• James Randi Receives Klass Award
• ESP
• Sir Isaac Newton
• “Expelled”
• From the Copy-right Office: Protecting your Elvis Sighting

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How Statistics Are Misunderstood in the Media and Society

Saturday, Jan 10, 1:30 pm Public & FREE

Rebecca Goldin, Ph.D.
Statistical Assessment Service

National Science Foundation, Room 110
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA






Dr. Rebecca Goldin is Director of Research for the Statistical Assessment Service (stats.org), a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization affiliated with George Mason University. STATS’ mission is to improve the quality of scientific and statistical information in public discourse and to act as a resource for journalists and policy makers on scientific issues and controversies. STATS' work has been featured on NBC Nightly News, the News Hour with Jim Lehrer, and ABC's 20/20 - and in print by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, US News & World Report, New Scientist, New England Journal of Medicine, and many other publications.

Dr. Goldin is Associate Professor of Mathematical Sciences at George Mason University, and a member of the Science Policy Committee of the American Mathematical Society. She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard, and her PhD from MIT. She taught at University of Maryland as a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow before joining George Mason in 2001. In 2007 she was the first recipient of the Ruth I. Michler Memorial Prize, which honors outstanding young women in the field of mathematics.

* NSF is one block south of the Ballston-Marymount University metro stop on the Orange Line. For most drivers the easiest route is to exit Route 66 onto Fairfax Dr. eastbound to N. Stuart Street. Enter the NSF building at the corner of N. Stuart Street and 9th St. N. Parking is available in the Ballston Common mall, in the NSF building, and at other area parking lots and garages. Metered parking is also available on the surrounding streets. (Map)

Understanding Creationism Sat Dec 13 at 1:30 pm

Saturday, Dec 13, 1:30 pm
Public & FREE

Mary McCutcheon, Ph.D., George Mason University (Retired)

National Science Foundation, Room 110
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA *

Why do so many people embrace creationism and reject evolution? What are their arguments? How does creationism promote community and address peoples' concerns about education, the rearing of good children, and the perceived dangerous consequences of evolutionary thinking?

Mary McCutcheon, Ph.D. (University of Arizona) taught in the Anthropology Department at George Mason University from 1988 to 2004. Prior to that she worked at the Smithsonian Institution in the Directorate of International Affairs. Earlier she taught at the University of Guam. She does research on land and marine resource ownership in the Palau Islands of Micronesia. Over the years, while teaching at GMU, and in retirement, she has refined this popular lecture, and related talks, to develop better understanding about the surge of religiosity in our society.

* NSF is one block south of the Ballston-Marymount University metro stop on the Orange Line. For most drivers the easiest route is to exit Route 66 onto Fairfax Dr. eastbound to N. Stuart Street. Enter the NSF building at the corner of N. Stuart Street and 9th St. N. Parking is available in the Ballston Common mall, in the NSF building, and at other area parking lots and garages. Metered parking is also available on the surrounding streets. (Map)

Autism & Vaccines:How Bad Science Confuses the Press & Harms the Public

Saturday, Nov 8, 1:30 pm
Public & FREE (Flyer)

Steven Salzberg, Ph.D.,University of Maryland
Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

National Science Foundation, Room 110
4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA *



Ten years ago, an article appeared in the medical journal The Lancet that suggested a link between autism and the vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella. The article was widely cited in the popular press in England, and vaccination rates began to fall. Further investigations revealed that the data in the study had been manipulated, and that the principal scientist had a major conflict of interest, with the result that 10 of his 12 co-authors repudiated the study's findings.

Numerous scientific studies since 1998, all done in response to the original Lancet article, have failed to find any link between autism and vaccines. Despite this, a few scientists and doctors continue to push the connection, often accompanying their claims with promises of "alternative" treatments for autism. The press keeps the issue alive by reporting "the controversy," often accompanying their reports with emotional testimonials from parents, including several celebrities. As a consequence of this publicity, vaccination rates are now falling in the United States, leading to alarming new outbreaks of diseases.

Scientists and skeptics need to act to quell the rumors and educate the public, so that vaccines, one of the greatest medical successes in history, remain an effective tool in our fight against disease.


Dr. Steven Salzberg is the Director of the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology and the Horvitz Professor of Computer Science at the University of Maryland, College Park. From 1997 to 2005 he was at The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) in Rockville, Maryland, where he had a leading role in projects to sequence the DNA of many pathogens, including the anthrax bacteria used in the 2001 attacks. He contributed computational tools and analysis to the Human Genome Project and to projects decoding the genomes of many other animals and plants. His group's computational tools are used around the world in a wide range of genome sequencing projects today. His current genomics projects include a large-scale study of the influenza virus, the development of new DNA sequencing technology, and studies of the bacteria living inside the human body. Dr. Salzberg received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Yale University and his Ph.D. from Harvard University. (home page)


* NSF is one block south of the Ballston-Marymount University metro stop on the Orange Line. For most drivers the easiest route is to exit Route 66 onto Fairfax Dr. eastbound to N. Stuart Street. Enter the NSF building at the corner of N. Stuart Street and 9th St. N. Parking is available in the Ballston Common mall, in the NSF building, and at other area parking lots and garages. Metered parking is also available on the surrounding streets. (Map)