This reading group meets both in person and online to explore classic works in theoretical and philosophical biology. Our aim is to revisit influential texts and discuss their continuing relevance to contemporary debates. In previous terms, we have read The Strategy of the Genes (1957) by C. H. Waddington and Order and Life (1936) by Joseph Needham, as well as organised visits to historically significant sites such as the Strangeways Research Laboratory and the Needham Research Institute.
This Michaelmas Term, we will be reading Susan Oyama's The Ontogeny of Information (2000). This landmark book helped shape the field of Developmental Systems Theory, addressing questions about the interplay of genes and the environment, the 'nature versus nurture' debate, the role of order, constraints, and contingency, as well as the meaning (and limits) of the concept of information. By revisiting Oyama's work at a time when information theory and technology are rapidly transforming, we hope to uncover new perspectives on the dynamics of living systems on both developmental and evolutionary timescales.
We will meet every other Monday, 1–2 pm (13 Oct, 27 Oct, 10 Nov, 24 Nov and 8 Dec). If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please email Cassandra (zy322@cam.ac.uk).