Guest Speakers: Prof. Bill Durham & Don Fidler
Bll is Professor and University Fellow, Emeritus, in Human Biology, Stanford University
Don is a Branch 35 member, retired from networking sales and marketing, now a travel videographer.
The Flight of the Beagle: a video
In 1831 twenty-two year old Charles Darwin embarked on a voyage that would change how we understand the earth. The HMS Beagle sailed around the world over the next five years with Darwin on-board as naturalist. His observations were documented in a book now called “The Voyage of the Beagle.” And his life’s work resulted in his impactful book “The Origin of Species”, in 1859. In 2009, the 150th anniversary of “Origin,” a group of travelers made a “voyage” by air along the Beagle’s route, stopping at many places that Darwin visited, and learning about the extraordinary science of evolution, the extraordinary reach of the British empire, and the extraordinary man, Charles Darwin. Today’s video screening documents that voyage…or rather, flight. Stanford Professor Bill Durham returns to SIR to illustrate how the evidence Darwin observed raised questions that led to his further study and publication of “Origin.” And, SIR member Don Fidler’s video documentary of the 2009 trip takes us along for a vicarious, extraordinary flight.
Bill Durham is Professor in Human Biology, Emeritus, and Yang and Yamazaki University Fellow, Emeritus, at Stanford University. Don Fidler began a hobby of travel videography after a career in networking sales and marketing.
By Scott Hiller