Science on Tap with Bruce Lieberman

About this event

“The End of the Line: What Steam Trains can tell us about Evolution”

Steam trains are no longer an economically effective means of transportation. What can this tell us about evolution? Since Darwin, scientists have viewed competition as a key factor in causing evolution at a large scale. However, evidence for this, including from paleontology, is actually quite limited.

In this Science on Tap talk, Dr. Bruce S. Lieberman, Senior Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology and Dean’s Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, will share in detail how society’s technological replacement of the steam locomotive informs our understanding of evolution. Steam trains were at one time a very successful means of transportation, but they were ultimately outcompeted and replaced by newer technologies. The lessons from this technological transition are used to explore competition’s true evolutionary impact on the history of life.

This free presentation/Q&A is open to the public and will be held in the beer hall area at Free State Brewing Company. Please note that seating is limited, so we encourage you to arrive early!

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend University of Kansas sponsored events. If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this event, please contact Natalie Vondrak, nvondrak@ku.edu .