Voyage to 'The Origin of Species'- Reminiscences of Charles Darwin by Pepper Trail, October 11

Summary: How did Charles Darwin, a failed medical student and unpromising candidate for the priesthood, come to write "The Origin of Species," one of the most influential books ever published? In this entertaining talk, Darwin himself (with some assistance from evolutionary biologist and lecturer Pepper Trail) will recount how his country childhood, his voyage on The Beagle, and his vibrant circle of friends and colleagues led him, sometimes reluctantly, to the insights that revolutionized our understanding of the world. Pepper Trail earned a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology and ornithology from Cornell University. He has had a decades-long fascination with Darwin, and primary sources for his talk are Darwin's own writings and the authoritative two-volume biography of Darwin by Janet Browne.