Are Humanoids Inevitable?

Dr. Stephen Freeland, an astrobiologist from the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, thinks that convergent evolutionary pressures are strong and that we are bound to run into other human-like creatures out in the universe. Dr. Kevin Omland, evolutionary biologist from the Department of Biological Sciences, challenges that claim and counters with the observation that evolution works rather unpredictably and thinks that the lifeforms that we will encounter in space will be beyond our imagination as intelligence is just one possibility.

The debate will take place from 4:00 to 5:00pm on Wednesday, December 3 in Lecture Hall 2 in the Chemistry building on the UMBC campus. It is sponsored by the Biology Council of Majors and is part of their B-Ethical series.