Sex talk
Sex: Why Bother? Evolution Mysteries
One of the greatest mysteries of biology is why humans need a sexual act to reproduce while some organisms such as bacteria do not, and while others, like plant lice, can reproduce with or without a sexual act. Scientific evidence indicates that sexual reproduction is in fact a much less efficient way of producing new individuals and, consequently, of passing on genes to the next generation. Why then are some species, like humans, only able to reproduce with a sexual act? This is one of the greatest intrigues of evolutionary biology. And science aside, what does sex mean to us after all? Do we mate with the only goal of passing genes onto the next generation? Or is there more to it under the sheets? Come and discuss these questions with outstanding scientist, medical ethicist, and religious studies scholar at the next Science Café.
WHEN: Tuesday February 27, 2007 from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
WHERE: Salento Coffee House, 2407 Rice Boulevard in Rice Village
WHO:
One of the greatest mysteries of biology is why humans need a sexual act to reproduce while some organisms such as bacteria do not, and while others, like plant lice, can reproduce with or without a sexual act. Scientific evidence indicates that sexual reproduction is in fact a much less efficient way of producing new individuals and, consequently, of passing on genes to the next generation. Why then are some species, like humans, only able to reproduce with a sexual act? This is one of the greatest intrigues of evolutionary biology. And science aside, what does sex mean to us after all? Do we mate with the only goal of passing genes onto the next generation? Or is there more to it under the sheets? Come and discuss these questions with outstanding scientist, medical ethicist, and religious studies scholar at the next Science Café.
WHEN: Tuesday February 27, 2007 from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
WHERE: Salento Coffee House, 2407 Rice Boulevard in Rice Village
WHO:
- Dr. Ricardo Azevedo, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Houston
- Dr. Simon Whitney, M.D. and Medical Ethicist, Medical Director of Baylor Family Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine
- Prof. Jeffrey J. Kripal, J. Newton Rayzor Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Rice University. Author of “Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion”, a book dealing with modern fusions of science, eroticism, and mystical experience
- Moderator: Patricia Gras, Senior Producer at HoustonPBS and Host of TV show Living Smart – airing Sundays at 3:30pm and Thursdays at 1:30pm. Living Smart episodes also available on google video
posted by Ricardo Azevedo at 2/16/2007 06:46:00 AM
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