Science, politics and the giant moose
May 4, 2016Lee Dugatkin, Ph.D., professor of biology at the University of Louisville, will regale guests at the next Beer with a Scientist with the story of how a Revolutionary War-era dispute over natural history took on important political overtones in European-American relations.
The story involves three individuals: Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence; George-Louis Leclerc de Buffon, a French count and world-renowned naturalist who claimed that all life in America was "degenerate," weak and feeble; and a very large, dead moose. Jefferson believed the moose could help quash early French arrogance toward the fledgling United States and demonstrate that America was every bit the equal of a well-established Europe.
Despite Jefferson's passionate refutation, the theory of degeneracy far outlived both him and Buffon and continued to have scientific, economic and political implications for 100 years.
[caption id="attachment_30144" align="alignright" width="200"] Mr. Jefferson and the Giant Moose by Lee Dugatkin, Ph.D.[/caption]Dugatkin has written a book, Mr. Jefferson and the Giant Moose, on the impact of the dispute and has spoken on the topic at the Smithsonian Institution and Jefferson’s Monticello estate.
The program begins at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11 at Against the Grain Brewery, 401 E. Main St. A 30-minute presentation will be followed by an informal Q&A session.
The Beer with a Scientist program began in 2014 and is the brainchild of UofL cancer researcher Levi Beverly, Ph.D. Once a month, the public is invited to enjoy exactly what the title promises: beer and science.
Admission is free. Purchase of beer, other beverages or menu items is not required but is encouraged.
Organizers add that they also encourage Beer with a Scientist patrons to drink responsibly.
For more information and to suggest future Beer with a Scientist topics, follow Louisville Underground Science on Facebook.
Betty Coffman is a communications coordinator focused on research and innovation at UofL. A UofL alumna and Louisville native, she served as a writer and editor for local and national publications and as an account services coordinator and copywriter for marketing and design firms prior to joining UofL’s Office of Communications and Marketing.