William H. Calvin, theoretical neurobiologist and writer, will speak at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, in the Hawkins-Carlson Room of Rush Rhees Library on the University of Rochester's River Campus. His talk on brain function and its intellectual capability based on his latest book, A Brief History of the Mind: From Apes to Intellect and Beyond, is part of the yearlong Neilly Series, and is free and open to the public.
Calvin, a scholar of neuroscience and biology, pursued physics at Northwestern University where he earned a bachelor's degree with honors. He then received a doctoral degree in physiology and biophysics at the University of Washington.
A Brief History of the Mind (Oxford University Press, 2004) analyzes what led to the "Mind's Big Bang" about 50,000 years ago and examines whether a big brain is necessary for higher intellectual function. Known as a writer for general readers, Calvin has published many books, mostly relating to the topics of brains and human evolution. His A Brain for All Seasons, which was published in 2002, won a Phi Beta Kappa book award for science. Besides being a writer, he is professor of biology at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Neilly Series events are supported by an endowment from University alumnus Andrew H. Neilly and his wife, Janet Dayton Neilly. The series is produced by the River Campus Libraries of the University of Rochester. For more information, contact (585) 275-4461.
Note to editors: A jpeg image of William Calvin can be e-mailed to you. Please call (585) 275-4128 or send your request to sdickman@rochester.edu.