Cafe Scientifique Arlington September 13, 2011

WHAT: The Lost Alfred Russel Wallace (Man who wasn’t Darwin) Collection
WHEN: Tuesday, September 13 (Please note that this is the second Tuesday), program begins at 6:15 PM. Come early to order food and drinks

WHERE: The Front Page Restaurant, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA, located near Ballston Metro on the ground floor of the NSF building. Parking is available under the NSF Building or at Ballston Common Mall.
WHO: Robert Heggestad, Attorney
HOW: 5:30 p.m. Special half price burgers; please come early to order table service and socialize. Presentation begins at 6:15 p.m. followed by Q&A
No science background required, only interest!
Free and open to the public Registration requested www.arlingtonvirginiausa.com/bsta

ABOUT THE TOPIC: In 1964, a rose wood veneered collector’s cabinet was sold in an unclaimed baggage sale to a Philadelphia antiques dealer. The collection was subsequently purchased from an Arlington antiques dealer by Robert Heggestad, a Washington attorney. According to the auction papers, it was believed to be the collection of Alfred Russel Wallace, who in 1858 was described as “the greatest field biologist of the nineteenth century”and completed his explosive paper on evolution. He sent it to Darwin, who then kicked into high gear and brought out On the Origin of Species the following year.” Mr. Heggestad did not begin research the provenance of the collection until 2007 when he contacted the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. The collection contains approximately 1700 specimens of butterflies and moths, beetles and other insects, shells, pods and other botanical specimens. Learn about his three years of research and see pictures of the drawers and individual specimens, many of which are discussed in Wallace’s Narrative of Travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro, the Malay Archipelago.

SUPPORT THIS CAFE: The Ballston Science and Technology Alliance, a nonprofit organization, is the sponsor of Café Scientifique Arlington. Since April 2006, the goal of Café Scientifique has been to make science more accessible and accountable by featuring speakers whose expertise spans the sciences and who can talk in plain English. Café is held each month on first Tuesdays at the Front Page in Arlington. Please go to www.arlingtonvirginiausa.com/bsta and contribute. Help keep Café open and free to all!

COMING NEXT MONTH: Oct 2, 2011, Regional Economic Performance and Outlook, John McClain, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, Center for Regional Analysis, GMU

Official Website: http://www.arlingtonvirginiausa.com/bsta