Featured Games

Track A: Charles Darwin, the Copley Medal, and the Rise of Naturalism, 1862-64

Charles Darwin, the Copley Medal, and the Rise of Naturalism, 1862-64 thrusts students into the intellectual ferment of Victorian England just after publication of The Origin of Species. Since its appearance in 1859, Darwin's long awaited treatise in "genetic biology" had received reviews both favorable and damning. Thomas Huxley and Samuel Wilberforce presented arguments for and against the theory in a dramatic and widely publicized face-off at the 1860 meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in Oxford. Their encounter sparked a vigorous, complex debate that touched on a host of issues and set the stage for the Royal Society's consideration of whether or not they ought to award Darwin the Copley Medal, their most prestigious prize. While the action takes place in meetings of the Royal Society, Great Britain's most important scientific body, a parallel and influential public argument smoldered over the nature of science and its relationship to modern life in an industrial society. A significant component of the Darwin game is the tension between natural and teleological views of the world, manifested especially in reconsideration of the design argument, commonly known through William Paley's Natural Theology or, Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity (1802), and updated by Wilberforce. But the scientific debate also percolated through a host of related issues: the meaning and purposes of inductive and hypothetical-speculation in science; the professionalization of science; the implications of Darwinism for social reform, racial theories, and women's rights; and the evolving concept of causation in sciences and its implications for public policy. Because of the revolutionary potential of Darwin's ideas, the connections between science and nearly every other aspect of culture became increasingly evident. Scientific papers and laboratory demonstrations presented in Royal Society meetings during the game provide the backdrop for momentous conflict that continues to shape our perceptions of modern science.

About the Authors: Marsha Driscoll is Associate Professor of Psychology at Bemidji State University in Bemidji, MN. Her scholarly interests include the nature and role of cognitive and affective empathy, adult development, and the interdisciplinary connections of psychology to the other social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. Elizabeth E. Dunn is Professor of History at Bemidji State University. Her primary field of study is American Intellectual History, with research and publications centered on value conflicts in a variety of settings including Benjamin Franklin's religious beliefs, paper money in colonial America, and political campaigning in the nineteenth century. Dann P. Siems is Assistant Professor of Biology at Bemidji State University. His research interests include the natural history of fishes, phenotypic plasticity in life history theory, relationship of ontogeny to phylogeny, history, and philosophy of biology, role of behavior and cognition in evolution, and evolutionary psychology. B. Kamran Swanson is an Instructor of Philosophy at Oakton Community College and Harold Washington College in the Chicago area. His studies have focused on the philosophy of Benedict Spinoza and early modern philosophies of science.

Track B: Beware the Ides of March: Rome in 44 BC

Beware the Ides of March recreates the struggle for power and control of Rome that followed the assassination of Julius Caesar. The game begins immediately after the assassination, and most of the action takes place in the Senate, which is required to deal with various threats to order in the city and in the empire. Decisions taken to deal with immediate crises may also set the future course of Roman government. Resorting to one-man rule may ratify the recent trend toward autocracy; on the other hand, if the tradition of rule by consensus can bring Rome through this crisis, the Senate may be able to "restore the Republic" and resume its predominant role in governing the state. Students are divided into two principal factions, "Caesarians"—the larger group, since Caesar had packed the Senate—and "Republicans." Some students will have indeterminate roles as non-partisan (or at least uncommitted) members of the Senate.

Travel & Lodging

The University of Georgia is located in Athens, GA, 60 miles northeast of Atlanta. Visitors can fly to Athens via the Athens-Ben Epps Airport or Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

For additional information, visit http://www.uga.edu/visit/directions.html.

Participants are responsible for reserving their own travel and accommodations.

Hotel rooms are available at: Georgia Center, $99 + tax per night. Call 706 542-1181 to reserve a room. Contact Shannon Cohen at the Georgia Center if you have a problem.

Parking:
There's a pay lot next to the Georgia Center Hotel. It's a ten-minute walk down Lumpkin to the Miller Learning Center (MLC) for the Conference.
Alternatively, use the parking lot across the street from MLC and slightly north, which is, like all UGA lots, free after 5 and on the weekend. It's called W03; you get to it by turning onto Baxter from Lumpkin and then making the first right. The lot isn't accessible from Lumpkin but it abuts Lumpkin.

Transportation to Athens (several conferees are driving).
Alternatives:
1) AAA Shuttle: aaaairportexpres@aol.com Call 1-800-354-7874 to make a reservation. $45 one-way. 1 1/2 hour ride to Georgia Center.
2) Georgia Skies: www.flygeorgiaskies.com Call 877-848-4997. 3-4 non-stops/day. $41 one-way. 30 minutes; then you'll need a taxi to Georgia Center. Flies to Athens four times a day.

Program
Program PDF will be listed here soon.

Contact Information

Questions about the conference should be directed to:
Naomi Norman, Professor of Classics, UGA ( nnorman@uga.edu )
Kelly Dugan, Graduate Assistant, Classics, UGA ( kpdugan@uga.edu )
David Noah, Center for Teaching & Learning, UGA ( davidnoah1@gmail.com )