In this public RSA lecture held at the University of East Anglia, Steve Jones reflects on the literary Darwinist question: are we still chimps and do we write books about it?
In an attempt to answer the question Jones, professor of genetics at University College London, argues that literary theorists often misunderstand what evolution can and cannot tell us about ourselves. He highlights the problem caused by the uniqueness of humans combined with the fact that evolution is a comparative science; what do we have to compare our uniquely human literary talents with?
In a heated and varied discussion, following the lecture, teachers draw on Jones' ideas and reflect on what it all could mean for education and teaching. This covers topics such as:
- The links between English and science
- Storytelling
- The feminisation of education
- And the lack of cross curricular teaching in schools today.
Useful websites
The Daily Telegraph and Bayer Science Writer Awards 2007
Scroll down to access advice from science writers in a series of downloadable articles, including two by Steve Jones
Magnet Lab: Science in Literature
American website featuring some of the best in science literature, grouped by age and interest level
No literary connections, but a useful site for school students (key stages 3, 4 and 5) showing how school science relates to the world, from electromagnets to digestion
Keeper of the Snails: A Talk by Professor Steve Jones on Evolution
Interesting blog on another Professor Jones speech and a link to one of his podcasts on creationism and evolution
