Call for Applications:
2004 Dibner Biological Seminar

Perspectives on Molecular Evolution

Course Date: May 19 - May 26, 2004

This is an intensive, one-week seminar with annually varying topics. It
is designed for advanced graduate students, younger scholars, and also
more established researchers in biology and the history and philosophy
of biology. The course is limited to approximately 20 participants,
including discussion leaders. 

The topic for 2004 is "Perspectives on Molecular Evolution." It is
generally acknowledged that, beginning in the 1960s and continuing to
the present day, evolutionary biology has been significantly transformed
by the incorporation of ideas and techniques from molecular biology. In
this seminar, we will "pause" to reflect on these four decades of
change. How, exactly, have the general theories and central questions of
evolutionary biology changed as a result of molecular considerations?
How, exactly, have the standards and practices of evolutionary biology
been affected? And, reciprocally, how has evolutionary biology
influenced molecular biology? In the process of pursuing these
overarching questions, we will consider particular issues and episodes
having to do with rates and mechanisms of evolutionary change, the
evolution of the genome, molecular phylogenetics, approaches to
modeling, and the development of tests to discriminate between
alternative hypotheses. Discussions will be led by invited biologists,
historians and philosophers. Readings and questions-to-ponder will be
circulated in advance. 

Another goal of this year's seminar will be to use the resources of the
internet to incorporate biologists, historians and philosophers outside
our small group into an ongoing discussion of the topic. To this end,
the seminar will make use of, and build upon an existing web-based
project on "The History of Recent Science and Technology".

The Seminar in the History of Biology has been supported since 1989 by
the Dibner Fund and the Dibner Institute. For more information about the
seminar in general, past topics, updates concerning this year's topic,
and application information, please visit the course website:

http://dibinst.mit.edu/DIBNER/DIConferences/WoodsHole/DIBNER/DIConferences/WoodsHole/WoodsHoleTopic.htm


The seminar is being organized with the help of the scientific staff of
the MBL's Josephine Bay Paul Center in Comparative Molecular Biology and
Evolution.

Additional funding for the 2004 seminar has been made available by the
Sloan Foundation. 

Directors: John Beatty, University of British Columbia; James Collins,
Arizona State University; and Jane Maienschein, Arizona State University

Organizers for 2004: Michael Dietrich, Dartmouth College; and Jan Sapp,
York University , Toronto.

Feel free to contact Michael Dietrich if you have any questions at
michael.dietrich@dartmouth.edu

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