This workshop welcomes scientists, historians, artists, philosophers, research students and anyone else who shares an interest in Darwin's life and work.

Darwin's innovations built upon a set of theories and the work of predecessors from a number of related sciences (some of which relate to his time as a medical student in Edinburgh, 1825-27). A set of related Scottish contexts exist for this programme - 18th and 19th century theories emanating from key figures such as James Hutton and Charles Lyell in geology, Dugald Stewart and David Hume in philosophy, to more contemporary developments such as the National Library of Scotland becoming the custodian of the John Murray Archive, and the fact that a number of Scottish-based artists are interested in Darwinian related themes in their work.

The Origin of Species stimulated a range of scientific and cultural responses in its day, but what ideas within Darwin's life work might be harvested for future development in today's contemporary cultural landscape? How might we both re-imagine and de-familiarise Darwin's work to productive ends?