This evening I was finally able to attend one of the Darwin lectures sponsored by the University of Cambridge, in celebration of the bicentennial anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth. The lecture was delivered by Prof. Jim Secord, Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge, and Director of the Darwin Correspondence Project.
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| Image source: www.flickr.com/photos/cpurrin1/2262636867/ |
I got to Lady Mitchell Hall (LHM) – the venue- at about ten past five, but was promptly told at the door that the hall was full – and this was a good 20 minutes before the lecture’s schedule! Instead, I was told to go to the "Little Hall," which was directly opposite LHM. Even Little Hall was almost full, but I managed to squeeze-in in one of the pews. It was my first time to attend such an event – and was quite surprised at how many attendees there were. There was a palpable sense of excitement in the air. However, instead of a stage, in front of the room was a large projection screen. Latecomers had no choice but to content themselves with a digital broadcast of the actual event unfolding at the other hall.