The next event in our regular series of events on Tuesdays in Second Life will be a presentation and discussion with Dr Paul White, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Cambridge University.

If Darwin took 25 yrs to publish his theory of species, he took even longer to address the question of human evolution. An important part of this work on humans involved research on the emotions. In this talk, Dr White will be looking at Darwin’s emotions from two sides: at the relationship between his scientific study of emotions, and his own emotional experience. In order to investigate emotions scientifically, Darwin’s own emotional life – in particular his feelings for others – had to give way – or did it?

That is one of the questions Dr White wants to explore; it is a question that has implications well beyond the life of Darwin – moral implications about the effects of scientific discipline on those who practice it, and on those – the animals and people – subjected to it. Many were asking these questions in Darwin’s day, and they are still being asked.

Dr Paul White is in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge University and a member of the Darwin Correspondence Project.

He will be Nature Publishing Group’s guest in Second Life on Tuesday 21st July at 10am PDT where he will give a talk and take questions from the audience. All very welcome!

Title: The Science of Emotions
Date: Tuesday 21st July, 10am PST / 1pm EST / 6pm BST
Speaker: Dr Paul White, Cambridge University
Location: Nature Amphitheatre, Second Life
Contact: Joanna Wombat / j.scott@nature.com