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Press cutting: UK premiere of first intelligent design documentary

7 February 2007

The first documentary film to take an even-handed look at the intelligent design versus evolution clash will have its UK premiere at UCL on Friday 9 February 2007.

In 'Flock of Dodos: the Evolution-Intelligent Design Circus', US filmmaker and evolutionary biologist Dr Randy Olson humorously examines the debate between proponents of the concept of intelligent design and the scientific establishment that supports evolution. …

Olson draws on basic aspects of evolution as metaphors, including the extinct dodo, which he suggests symbolises what happens to those unable to change with their environment.

The film attempts to determine who the 'dodos' are in a constantly evolving world: the scientific community who is failing to promote evolution as a scientifically accepted fact, or the intelligent design advocates who, to other scientists, are known as 'dodos'. …

Tickets are free to the public on the evening but will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

The screening, which coincides with events to mark Darwin's 198th birthday on 12 February 2007, will be followed by a discussion featuring three academics from UCL Science & Technology Studies.

Dr Joe Cain, a historian in evolutionary studies and UCL professor, said: "We can learn a lot about this subject using the light-hearted approach taken by this film.

"It brilliantly shows how these two sides simply talk past each other - with more interest in scoring points than understanding or solving disagreements."

Science, Engineering & Technology News, 7 February 2007