Live-blogging the Darwn-200 Anniversary Conference in Istanbul

Update Saturday 25 April: The conference is now over, so I've removed the twitter widget below and replaced it with the twitter history of the event, that is, my tweets from the conference in order. In a second update I will thread them with replies and retweets from the twitter community. Thanks to everyone in twitterdom who followed and participated!

Background here. This live-blog session will consist consisted of a twitter feed plus longer live (or at least live-ish) updates to this blog post below the twitter widget and will be followed up with a separate post with my thoughts on the conference that I couldn't manipulate into 140 characters or less (which I'm starting to realize is probably the best way to cover a conference since it's too onerous to sit down and compose paragraphs with the conference still in progress).

Test tweet from Turkey!2:50 PM Apr 23rd from txt

Test text tweet two from Turkey!6:48 AM Apr 24th from txt

Okay everyone, the conference is starting now! Just joining in? Wondering what's goin' on in Istanbul? http://tr.im/jAcp http://tr.im/jAcs7:17 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

First talk of the day: Prof. Vidyanand Nanjundiah [Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore] ‘The Evolution of Cooperativity’7:18 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Nanjundiah: "I hope you won't mind if I quote extensively from Darwin" - no, not at all! First quote = the 'problem' of the social insects7:20 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Nanjundiah: Darwin's four solutions to the problem (to his theory) of the social insects. 4th solution: Descent of Man, Chapter V.7:22 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

@milagro88 It's the Darwin200 Anniversary Conference in Istanbul. Tweeting it now!7:24 AM Apr 24th from Nambu in reply to milagro88

Oh ffs. RT @edyong209 WSJ not accepting comments on blogging=opinions piece. Even after arcane registration process. Hmph. http://ow.ly/3yaO7:26 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Yes, exactly, Grace! RT @grace_baynes @rpg7twit @kejames except if you want to bring said 120 ml home again and have hand luggage only :-/7:27 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Nanjundiah: Haldane &'s Wright group selection vs. Williams who said group selection doesn't exist & when it does, it's just individual sel.7:29 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Nanjundiah: Dictyostelium discoideum and D. giganteum as a model for group selection (if it exists, that is)7:32 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Nanjundiah: Why do Dicty stalk cells behave altruistically? He's begging the question "what is an organism" & "what is a group"?7:36 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Nanjundiah: even before the initiation of sociality in Dicty, there are tendencies that hint towards which cells will become sacrificial7:47 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Nanjundiah: phenotypic plasticity (from stochastic gene expression) suggests 'sociology' > important than kinship in cooperative behaviour7:51 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Q for Nanjundiah: this has become widely accepted among those who study social insects, so this talk very welcome; 'farewell kin selection'!7:52 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Darwin200 Istanbul, next up: Prof. Hüseyin Atay [Faculty of Theology, Ankara University] ‘Science, Evolution & the Qu’ran’7:54 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Atay: "I owe my practice to being non-dogmatic to the Qu'ran"7:56 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Atay: 'the desire [for God] originates in infancy & continues to death' (I'd say ''from the point of indoctrination' instead of 'infancy')8:00 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Atay: "from my study of the Qu'ran" & "according to the Qu'ran" but he assumes we think, like he does, that the Qu'ran is a source of truth8:06 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Atay: "listen to every word" but I can't understand HIS every word (he's reading an English translation of his talk in Turkish)8:09 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Atay: "whoever argues for his faith should be tested" ...oooh, it's getting good now (the bit I can understand)8:12 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Atay: "the Qu'ran does not refer to the first creation of other beings" & on origin of man it describes man's origin in developmental terms8:14 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Atay: "the Qu'ran speaks of science but is not a book of science"; it aims to draw man's attention to (not to instruct in) these things8:16 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Atay: "the mind is not subject to the Qu'ran" and "reason does not produce knowledge, it makes use of knowledge produced by mind"8:17 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

From Atay's abstract: "Creationists have misunderstood God."8:21 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Also from Atay's abstract: "Evolutionists attribute awe to evolution; in so doing, they ascribe divine provenance, just as creationists do."8:23 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Atay: "The mind knows the unknown by using inference."8:24 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

If Dawkins, PZ et al are the "new atheists" then I think Atay is a "new moderate" for saying things like this: (...continued in next tweets)8:28 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Atay: Creationists say God created everything; then he also created evolutionists, so to criticize evolutionists is to criticize the creator8:31 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Atay: "Evolutionists say man evolved; since creationists are men, to criticize creationists is to criticize evolution." <--see what I mean?8:33 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

On this last point Atay assumes we are reluctant to criticize evolution. Does he think we adhere still to the great chain of being?8:38 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Q from a self-professed "former religious fanatic" that I couldn't understand a word of. :(8:41 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Atay's talk will be published on the conference website and/or in a newspaper, which is good b/c I only understood every 5th sentence or so.9:18 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Darwin200 Istanbul: Next up: Prof. Francisco Ayala [University of California] ‘The Intelligent Design Movement – a Critique’9:19 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Ayala: "Darwin's discovery of natural selection provided the main process which accounts for the design of organisms by natural processes"9:20 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Ayala: "Intelligent design is not science. Even worse, it is bad religion"9:22 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Ayala: the famous mosaic of images of butterfly wings that make all the letters of the alphabet; doesn't mean they were designed for wri ...9:26 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Ayala: The Copernican revolution is really a commitment to the idea that laws that explain observable phenomena can be discovered & tested.9:27 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Ayala: William Payley expressed idea of intelligent design better than modern talking heads, and with much better biological understanding.9:28 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

For anyone just joining - I'm tweeting live from the Darwin200 Anniversary Conference in Istanbul. Background here: http://tr.im/jAA99:31 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Ayala reading now from The Origin of Species, Chapter IV, Natural Selection, "As more individuals are produced than can possibly survive..."9:32 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

A privilege to hear Ayala explain evolution, natural selection, intelligent design (which he is critiquing, in case that wasn't clear)9:33 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

@TEDchris Thanks for the mention!9:35 AM Apr 24th from Nambu in reply to TEDchris

@USelaine Thanks! FYI @nytimeskristof Tonight's public session is on Turkish TV & attended by journalists including, rumor has it, from NYT9:38 AM Apr 24th from Nambu in reply to USelaine

Ayala now using famous melanic moth example. Though correct, I think this story's effectiveness tainted by bad press (wrong but still bad)9:43 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Ayala now hammering it home with a detailed explanation of the step-by-step evolution of molluscan and vertebrate eyes. Yesssss!9:46 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

@rpg7twit Unfortunately it's the size of the container, not the amount of liquid remaining.9:49 AM Apr 24th from Nambu in reply to rpg7twit

Ayala: "the vertebrate eye has an imperfection that the molluscan eye doesn't" namely, the blind spot. Heh. Man IS but a worm!9:50 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Ayala: "I will now criticize the design movement in 2 ways: 1) my own criticisms & 2) those of John Jones (Dover judge)" *sits up straight*9:52 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Ayala: Philip Johnson (ID proponent) claimed "Give us 5-10 years, and you'll see sci breakthroughs biologists hadn't dreamed of before I ...9:54 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Ayala: ...well that was 1998!9:55 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Ayala: "The ID proposal has several probs" (holy understatement, batman!) including "Imperfect Design" e.g. human jaw, human birth canal &c.9:59 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Ayala! Snap! If God intelligently designed organisms then high rate of human miscarriages implies that "God is the greatest abortionist"10:04 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Ayala: "Science is methodologically naturalistic not philosophically materialistic."10:05 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Ayala's final slide: "Evolution: Darwin's gift to religion"10:06 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Q to Ayala: "Sci & religion are 2 different approaches but are they really compatible?" Ayala: "yes, as it is w/ aesthetics, economics, &c."10:10 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Ayala's book (for any tweeps interested) is "Darwin's Gift To Science And Religion" Joseph Henry Press, 200710:11 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Next up: Prof. Aykut Kence [Middle East Technical University, Ankara] ‘Creationism – Historical and Contemporary Perspectives’10:13 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Kence: "evolution is most controversial theory in history of science not b/c of 'drawbacks' but b/c so many non-scientists can't accept it"10:16 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Kence now giving us a history of creationism in USA and Turkey (which are, as a poster reminded me, top 2 countries for evolution denial).10:17 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Kence: "The 'problem' w/ evolution didn't exist at the founding of Republic of Turkey" ergo rejection of Darwinism a recent development.10:26 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Kence: "In 1970s Fethullah Gulen started giving anti-Darwinism conferences. He said sci textbooks should be written by 'our religious men'"10:27 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Kence: US creationist talking points were simply adopted and modified to Islam. Specific examples in textbooks show cut-and-paste approach.10:28 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Now a romp through tragic Turkish textbook quotes e.g. "to give creation to Allah makes things easier/saves scientists from wasting energy"10:35 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Turkish textbook: "contrary to what evo'ists claim, it was demo'd that frog, mouse & snake blood more similar to human blood than monkeys"10:35 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Kence: huge amounts of money in Turkey going to defamation of Darwinism. One tactic is 'vilifying evolutionists as Marxists, communists'10:38 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Kence: younger Turkish teachers less likely to 'believe' in scientific validity of evolution than older Turkish teachers. Awful.10:39 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Quote from Mustafa Ataturk: "My moral legacy to Turkish people is Science and Reason. The only salvation for Turkey (& middle East!) is ...10:41 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

...to embrace that legacy again. Wow. Powerful.10:41 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Turkish creos have branded science as "vulgar philosophy"; It appears the Discovery Institute's Wedge doc has been translated into Turkish.10:43 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Beautifully put! RT @crc2008 faith is personal, all dogma is dogma, science is public acknowledgement of doubt and verification...10:44 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Now for lunch.10:55 AM Apr 24th from Nambu

Just caught the end of 2pm talk ‘The Challenges of Science Education Today’ by Prof. Nidhal Gessoum [American University of Sharjah, UAE]about 22 hours ago from Nambu

Gessoum: More girls pursuing science in university in Middle East than boys; anecdotal evidence that boys want to go into the Army. Scary.about 22 hours ago from Nambu

Gessoum: What we need most: training and workshops for teachers, and more science endowments and patronage (two words: Beagle Project!)about 22 hours ago from Nambu

Up next: Prof. Sema Ergezen [Marmara University] ‘Teaching Evolution in Turkey: Present and Future’about 22 hours ago from Nambu

Good morning America! If you're just joining in, I am live-tweeting the Darwin200 Anniversary Conference in Istanbul http://tr.im/jBepabout 22 hours ago from Nambu

Ergezen exploring causes & consequences of systemic anti-evolutionism in Turkish teaching. Wow, & to think we thought it was bad in the US.about 22 hours ago from Nambu

Ergezen: Turkish teachers complain of not having had specific courses on evolution at University, or that those courses are superficial.about 22 hours ago from Nambu

Ergezen: Turkish teachers say they don't know how to teach evolution; others don't know how to defend evolution (against creat'ist students)about 22 hours ago from Nambu

62% of 1st year biology students in Ergezen's class "don't accept evolution" i.e. they arrive at school biased against evolution.about 22 hours ago from Nambu

Ergezen: we are failing to help teachers think evolutionarily, and to infuse evolution throughout all biologyabout 22 hours ago from Nambu

@imascientist Why thank you! *blushes* (or is that the Turkish coffee?)about 22 hours ago from Nambu in reply to imascientist

@flascience Thanks, we're hearing now about one of your fave topics: evolution education! Pro development for teachers an important theme..about 22 hours ago from Nambu in reply to flascience

Ergezen: we must 1) create collaborations between scientists and teachers, provide pro. development to teachers, promote evolution-thinkingabout 22 hours ago from Nambu

Ergezen: We must take action! We must start now! A passionate call not to be passive! (*cough* Beagle Project *cough*)about 22 hours ago from Nambu

Welcome to Twitter friend, wordsmith, Yorkshireman & Beagle Proj co-founder Peter McGrath! @pietromcg (a.k.a. the Ben Goldacre of the North)about 21 hours ago from web

THIS IS WHAT CENSORSHIP LOOKS LIKE http://pic.im/1Veabout 21 hours ago from Nambu

Up next: FInal Panel Discussion ‘A Better Vision - The Public Understanding of Evolution in Turkey and Beyond’about 21 hours ago from Nambu

Panel Discussion Chair Prof. Aslı Tolun giving us background on Turkish evolution education & outreach situation. To paraphrase: it's bad.about 21 hours ago from Nambu

Hearing inside scoop from Tolun on the (most recent) Darwin censorship incident http://tr.im/jBxs (aside: even Iran teaches evolution!)about 21 hours ago from Nambu

Tolun asks: why is evolution edu important; what are the major problems; what are the challenges; what are the means for effective teaching?about 21 hours ago from Nambu

Panelists' answers to "why is evolution important": 1) b/c scientists need frameworks to link their findings w/ a context...about 21 hours ago from Nambu

2) nothing in bio makes sense w/o it; 3) b/c it helps us take greater meaning fr. your interactions w/ nature (kids shouldn't be afraid ...about 21 hours ago from Nambu

...of insects!); 4) human health and disease prevention all founded on evolution (<--panelists' answers to 'why evolution important')about 21 hours ago from Nambu

I asked panel: is evolution denial demographically linked to climate change denial in Turkey as it is in USA? ...about 21 hours ago from Nambu

... answer is "No, it's a more general problem of apathy & ignorance. Even those who support evolution do so w/o knowing why; it's ideology"about 21 hours ago from Nambu

Good morning West Coast! If you're just joining in, I am live-tweeting the Darwin200 Anniversary Conference in Istanbul http://tr.im/jBepabout 21 hours ago from Nambu

First-year Turkish university students, presented with an 18-million-year-old fossil and asked to guess how old, will answer 50-200yrs.about 21 hours ago from Nambu

@CR_Fauchald Many at this conference would agree w/ you. Others wouldn't. Sadly all this 'haggling' is hurting our science & our society.about 21 hours ago from Nambu in reply to CR_Fauchald

Turkish panelist informs us that though Turkish academy founded to advise government, it doesn't work that way anymore.about 21 hours ago from Nambu

Another panelist says there is no professional community for science education scholarship in Turkey: there's a lack of associations & unityabout 21 hours ago from Nambu

Solution offered to panelists by audience member: need to boost cultural support for evo; to do this, must know history of their alienationabout 21 hours ago from Nambu

The quality of curricula on evolution is a big problem in Turkey, USA, UK, France; they put too much emphasis on particular bio processesabout 21 hours ago from Nambu

Juxtaposition giving me goosebumps: In session on evolution & religion & can hear the mosque next door to the hotel calling to prayerabout 20 hours ago from Nambu

Great comment from audience: consensus at this conference is that religion & evolution are compatible, but society at large it's 'either/or'about 20 hours ago from Nambu

Panelist: "evolution has been used as an ideological battleground; teaching evolution is not about converting people, it's about explaining"about 20 hours ago from Nambu

Comment: getting the mullahs to tell their followers to accept evolution is NOT the point; the point is to inspire critical thinking.about 20 hours ago from Nambu

@crc2008 First of all, I said "evolution and religion are compatible" is the consensus of this conference, not necessarily my own view!about 20 hours ago from Nambu in reply to crc2008

@crc2008 Second of all, I would have like to have said 'acceptance of evolution' not just 'evolution' but such is twitter ;-)about 20 hours ago from Nambu in reply to crc2008

Only when the religious stop meddling w/ sci edu! RT @tuibguy teach the biology let the religious worry about their part. Will it work?about 20 hours ago from Nambu

Commenter: better science education is needed in the seminaries. (Yep, that'd be good, I agree. Good luck though.)about 20 hours ago from Nambu

@mwinther @rdmpage @neuro100 Heh. Unfortunately all of the spokesmen for this view (Dawkins et al.) were specifically *not* invited here.about 20 hours ago from Nambu in reply to mwinther

OMG this is scary. Someone is standing up and saying 'the problem is democracy' because culture is king in democracy.about 20 hours ago from Nambu

Double OMG! He called Dawkins "an extreme vulgar ideologist"! ...then said people need to be persuaded not forced to accept evolution. Hmm.about 20 hours ago from Nambu

Me: In all our talk about the education-ignorance dichotomy & how to argue better, let's not forget about the apathy-inspiration dichotomyabout 20 hours ago from Nambu

Phew! My talk is over and now enjoying a production of Re-design, a dramatization of the Darwin-Gray correspondence.about 17 hours ago from txt

This is the public portion of the symposium w/ 300+ Turkish students in attendance. Next up a televised panel discussionabout 17 hours ago from txt

Still tweeting live from Darwin200 Istanbul though less frequently b/c by text. Televised panel discussion beginning!about 15 hours ago from txt

Audience questions!about 15 hours ago from txt

One questioner practically reading out of Hurun Yahya; he just won't accept the existence of transitional fossilsabout 15 hours ago from txt

Panelist: Science uses hypothesis & experiment to find out truth. Religion uses... uh... something else.about 14 hours ago from txt

@pseudonymTrevor Love that Thoreau is your avatar (*follows*). Glad you found DCP. Darwin-Online is also good resource http://tr.im/jG5Uabout 1 hour ago from Nambu in reply to pseudonymTrevor

Damn, missed my chance. RT @pietromcg Harun Yahya sounds like he's doing a pavement pizza in a shop door after 7 pints & a curry. Tell him.about 1 hour ago from Nambu

Thanks to all who replied to & RT'd my live tweets from Darwin200 Conference in Istanbul. Conf over now, but I'm in Istanbul through Monday.about 1 hour ago from Nambu