AT: Chapter Meeting – The Future of Human Evolution

What is the future of human evolution?  Dr. Scott Solomon provides an entertaining and accessible overview of the forefront of research on human evolution happening in modern times.  Once considered the exclusive domain of science fiction, recent scientific advances now make it possible to use what we know about our past and our present to make meaningful predictions about our evolutionary future.  Indeed, an explosion of information about the human genome, an emerging understanding about the complex role of microorganisms in our health, and the many changes that have come with modernization provide insights into our ongoing evolution.  Among the most surprising conclusions is how the use of technology– including the rise of online dating, genetic engineering, as well as the establishment of permanent human settlements on other planets– may affect our future evolution, and could lead to the formation of new human species.

Bio:

Scott Solomon is a biologist and science writer based in Houston, TX.  We still remember the wonderful chapter program he did on ants last year.  He received a doctorate in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Texas at Austin where his research examined the evolutionary basis of biological diversity in the Amazon Basin.  Dr. Solomon has worked as a visiting researcher with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC and the Universidade Estadual Paulista in Rio Claro, Brazil.  He currently teaches ecology, evolutionary biology, and scientific communication as a Professor in the Practice at Rice University.  His writing and photography have appeared in publications such as Slate, Nautilus, and Wired.com and his first book, Future Humans: Inside the Science of Our Continuing Evolution will be published by Yale University Press in October, 2016.

Program and Speaker Websites:

http://solomon.blogs.rice.edu/

http://yalebooks.com/book/9780300208719/future-humans

Come hear this expert speak at 7 p.m.  The meeting will be preceded by a social time and snacks at 6:30 p.m.    Around 8:00pm, we will have a short chapter general business meeting.  This last general membership meeting of the year will be right after the program. We hope to see as many people as possible at this last meeting to elect our officers for the coming year. 

The meeting is free and open to all interested persons.

The Texas Master Naturalists program is sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

1 hour to AT: Chapter Meeting-Coastal Prairie