Workshop 5: Experimentality in Nature: Evolution, Novelty, Reflexivity

This workshop brought together theoretical biologists, anthropologists, archaeologists and historians of art and of science to explore how ideas of experimentality can be used to understand the emergence of radical novelty in the natural world and in human culture. Participants explored contemporary theories of evolution which go beyond a conventional neo-Darwinian emphasis on mutation and natural selection, such as evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo), symbiogenesis, and animal traditions, debated attempts to bridge understandings of biological and of cultural evolution, and explored the aporias surrounding human origins.  Building upon discussions about such explorations’ wider relevance, the workshop also explored something of the bearing, which recent approaches to transitions under far from equilibrium conditions across physical, organic and cultural realms may have upon “needs of a world in which simplicity is a memory of a bygone age" (Funtowicz and Ravetz 1997).

The workshop started at 13.30 on 25 March and ended at 16.30 on 26 March. For the original programme, click here.

Thursday 25 March

13.30 – 13.40

Bronislaw Szersynski (Sociology, Lancaster University) and Brian Wynne (CESAGEN, Lancaster University) - Aspects of the 2009 - 2010 Research Programme

13.40 – 14.00 Introduction to the workshop: ‘evolution, novelty, reflexivity’

Stephanie Koerner (University of Manchester)

14.00 – 15.00 Talks Session

Jeffrey Schwartz (University of Pittsburgh)
‘Was the “Modern Evolutionary Synthesis” Really a Synthesis?’

15.30 – 17.00 Talks Session

Claire Marshall (York University) ‘Sensory Aspects of the Evolution of Sounds and Skills in Mesolithic and Neolithic Societies’

Robin Skeates (Durham University) ‘Rethinking ‘Style’: biographies, processes and potentialities of Neolithic and Copper Age decorated clay stamps’

Tim Ingold (University of Aberdeen) Comments: ‘Bindings against Boundaries: entanglements of life in an open world’

17.00 – 18.00 Discussion

Friday 26 March

09.30 – 11.00 Talks Session

Marion Endt (University of Manchester) ‘Ramifications and Connotations of Coral: Darwin, Surrealism and Contemporary Art’

Eva Jablonka (Tel-Aviv University) ‘Plurality of Evolutionary Dimensions: genetic, epigenetic, behavioural and symbolic forms in the history of life’

11.30 – 13.00 Talks Session

Frances Liardet (Cardiff University) ‘Reconnecting Cultural Makings and Meanings: reconstructing skilled crafting in ancient boats and glass bottles’

Lambros Malafouris (University of Cambridge) ‘Metaplasticity: an experiment in neuro-archaeology’

14.00 – 15.30 Talks Session

Peter Allen (Cranfield University) ‘Complexity, Decision Making, Learning’

Tim Darvill (Bournemouth University) ‘Reinventing Tradition: indeterminacy and life quality issues’

15.45 – 16.30 Round table discussion

After “Description of Nature as an Automaton” (Prigogine 1997): rethinking reflexivity in an irreducibly complex world