What is special about the gene? THIS EVENT HAS NOW TAKEN PLACE A
one day arts and humanities interdisciplinary symposium Tuesday
11 September 2007, Cardiff University - David Amigoni - English
literature - Roberta Bivins - Historian - Tim Ingold -
Anthropologist - Lenny Moss - Philosopher - Alison Wray -
Linguistic theorist The gene seems to have captured the public
imagination and to exercise a fascination and symbolic influence
in many fields outwith the context of its scientific discovery
and usage. Like the atom, and a few other scientifically-derived
concepts, the gene appears to overflow with secondary metaphors,
entailments and projections that have significance for
individuals, groups, activities and worldviews well beyond the
laboratory bench. Possibly the symbolic traction of this
concept/symbol will make it as significant in human social
thought, imagination, and development as the notion of evolution
itself. This symposium for 30-40 participants forms part of an
ongoing project looking at the symb