Many of you were anxious to find out more about my trip to Columbus, Ohio in a few weeks, and here’s the information you need. This is to be a Darwin Day banquet, open to the public, but there is a charge. It’s on 14 February, so you could always bring a date and say it’s their Valentine’s Day gift, too.
ggab says
I’ll be there with bells on.
Copache says
I might show for this. It’s close enough that I could arrange it…
But I never have a valentines date so that’s out of the question.
ildi says
I think the Thirsty Ear is the closest best beer selection to the Fawcett Center….
Kevin says
Hey! Alright! I’ll have to drive down from Cleveland for this!
Glen Davidson says
Seriously, a lecture on Darwin for a Valentine’s gift? I hope it includes the evolution of love as a means to propagate genes.
I’d like to see the girl who’d fall for that. On second thought, no.
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/6mb592
Fred Mounts says
I’ll probably bring my mom, whom has recently seen the light. She’s reading The God Delusion, and has even been sharing it with my dad. They both recognize the ridiculousness of religion, but my dad can’t conceive how every exists without starting it off. Actually, the talk might convince him of the truth.
So, I’ll still be referring to February 14 as S.A.D –> Singles Appreciation Day. Unless any of the ladies here would like to accompany me. Asking here isn’t too pathetic, is it?
Fred Mounts says
With apologies to the good Rev, OM. ‘every’ should of course read ‘everything.’
rebecca says
Wow, I would love to go. I might have to drive up from Nashville, but what could be better for Valentine’s Day?
Quiet Desperation says
so you could always bring a date and say it’s their Valentine’s Day gift
So it’s sort of a contraceptive, too? Because, seriously, *no* sex will be happening after a gift like that.
I tease. :-)
ildi says
Fred: It would only be pathetic if your mom is included on the date.
Goheels says
You should come to North Carolina some time! Like here in Chapel Hill perhaps ;-)
ildi says
QD: I happen to find science (and Darwin AND PZ) very sexy…
nigelTheBold says
Hey! I think me and my wife will be driving down from Cleveland! She’s the sort that would fall for a line like, “Want to go to a humanist banquet for Valentine’s? You’ll like it better than Titanic, I plomise.”
greedy alan says
As it’s a banquet, does that mean the $35 ticket comes with a hearty feed?
PZ Myers says
I should warn everyone, though, that this won’t be one of my firebreathing godless talks, it will be one of my sciencey talks, with a little history thrown in.
nigelTheBold says
Well, good! Science is better than godlessness any day. Although godlessness is fun, science is way more fun.
ildi says
As long as it’s a firebreathing sciencey talk.
(I /heart history.)
Mandy says
I’ll be there! And yes, some girls do think that this would be a great Valentine’s Day date! I just hope they offer vegetarian fare – I’d hate to blow $35 and go home hungry.
JohnC says
Darwin was a racist.
Nerd of Redhead says
Ah, so nice to see one of the lack of perspective twits show up. Anything to put as stain on Darwin, who was just a fallable man. It does nothing to detract from his theory, which has been strengthened greatly in the 150 years since Darwin first published his book. So much so it now goes by the name “Modern Synthesis”. Now go back to your basement in your parents house and let the big people make their social engagements.
fred c dobbs says
pz –
while in ohio, would you please remind the good people there that the mountain’s name is denali, not mckinley.
fred c dobbs don’t say nuthin’ he don’t mean…
Rey Fox says
“Darwin was a racist.”
So was Lincoln.
deep says
Ok, so by V-day I need to have a disposable date with a car willing to cover the entrance fee (and my dinner ><) and hopefully is intelligent enough to not fall asleep or act like a total bore... I'm doomed.
John Chrysostom says
Darwin’s theory of natural selection is racist. The subtitle of Origin of Species is “Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life.” Favoured Races? Struggle for Life? Where have we heard that before?
PZ Myers says
My, you are an idiot, aren’t you? Language usage has changed since the 19th century. Darwin was not referring to “races” in the sense you are using them, but to varieties. Like in pigeons.
Just curious, but have you actually read the book? Or just the title?
PZ Myers says
Oh, and are you planning to spam lots of random threads with random comments completely unrelated to the topic being discussed? Let me know if you are, so I can preemptively ban you and save myself a little work.
SimonC says
Good to see that science appeals to some of the ladies. I’m extra-lucky in that I bought my girl tickets to a lecture on Darwin and she is totally impressed.
For Sydney-based pharyngulites, the lecture is at http://www.hht.net.au/whats_on/event/lectures/men_of_science_series_darwin.
MisterDomino says
You’re coming to Columbus? And you’re going to be talking science and history?
WHY DOES NO ONE TELL ME THESE THINGS?!
Screw the whole dating thing, I’m so there!
LB says
You ought to make the trek down to Cincinnati and check out the creationist museum if you have not yet indulged your funny bone.
Benjamin's Onion says
$35 bucks a ticket? What exotic banquet foods justify that price?
Fred Mounts says
Thus spake ildi @10:
True that. I’m not quite to the Seymour Skinner level of patheticness yet. There’s little hope, that’s true, but there’s is a smidgen.
Matt Gerber says
No~! My school city. I won’t be back in the States for several months… =(
Brock says
Hm, I might drive down from Cleveland! It’s either that or stay in town and see Floyd Sandberg’s play Darwin Remembers at the Natural History Museum.
But if I come to Columbus, I’ll have to bring my girlfriend. I gave her a Darwin-themed Valentine’s card last year (#3 down onthis page), and she’s still dating me, so odds are good ;)
John says
I’m definitely going to be there, but I have to ask…
Why so pricey?
Gary Parker says
Since you’re going to be in Columbus, will the honorable Frank Zindler of American Atheists also be in attendence?
Tracie says
I’d like to go, provided I can get my boyfriend to go along with it.
ildi says
Ok, people, I’m coming to this gala fest all by my lonesome, even though I’m more comfortable showing up at a bar by myself than a place like the Fawcett Center, and if this lady can do it, y’all can too. (Location is probably a reason for the higher price – it will feel somewhat conferencey, I’m guessing.)
I’m assuming that something is being planned for afterward for those unwilling/unable to shell out the jack for the FC?
ildi says
Oh, and Fred, ignore my snarky comment; I just hate Hallmark holidays like VD.
Andrew says
Are you kidding me? I live in Ohio, but am going out of town that day!
ewige says
Gah! I would love to attend this, but that entire day I am driving down to Georgia to visit relatives!
Had this been held actually ON Darwin Day, I could’ve attended. Ah well. Hope you have a chance to stop by Betty’s or Jeni’s (for a pint or a pint, respectively) while you’re out here.
Triffid says
I’ll be coming all the way from Edmonton for it!
I kid; I was frustrated at having recently moved to North Carolina, because it meant I missed you in Alberta. The upshot of it, though, is that for only a seven-hour drive (my Valentine’s gift; in return, I bought the tickets for us both), we get to spend Darwin Day with a *science-based* (our favorite kind) lecture by P.Z. Myers!
Where’s the doin’s after the lecture? Can we tag along?
Tarrkid says
PZ, what are the chances of this selling out ahead of time?
My wife and I are trying to figure out how we can get up there from Louisville to see this (organizing a babysitter, etc.), but being in Mid-February, we’re a little worried that a blizzard might come through, making the 4-hr drive more like a 12-hour deathtrap, and then the ticket price going to waste.
If we were fairly confident we could still buy tickets just a couple days ahead of the event, that would ease our fears a little bit.