Talks

10/10/2022: Punceq and the problem of time, Symposium on Punctuated Equilibrium, 50 years later, Geological Society of America, Denver, USA

05/10/2022: Beyond adaptation: a view from reticulate evolution, ISHPSSB Off-year workshop, A triple helix: metaphor, society, and the science of evolution; A hybrid workshop in memory of Richard Lewontin, University of Mexico, Mexico

07/06/2022: Art and evolution, Circle for Evolutionary Philosophy, Prosocial World, Evolution Institute (online)

29/04/2022: Self-Causation, Evolutionary Hierarchies, and Time, ECCO, Center Leo Apostel, Belgium.

05/04/2022: Darwinian principles and heuristics: on the universality of evolution, Darwin Club for Social Science (online)

18/01/2022: Studying symbolic evolution: An epistemological analysis, Bayreuth Philosophy Research Forum, University of Bayreuth, Germany.

28/10/2021: Hi-Phi Seminar on Prehistoric skyscapes: archaeology, symbolism and time keeping (with Luís Tirapicos), Department for History and Philosophy of Science, Faculty of Science of the University of Lisbon, Portugal.

04/10/2021: Microbiomes and non-genetic inheritance (with Anton Sukhoverkov). International Interdisciplinary Colloquium: New Challenges Induced by Microbiomes, 2nd Edition, Team AIRE, Sorbonne University, Pierre & Marie Curie Campus, Paris, France.

30/09/2021: On the Self-Causing and Living Earth or how Construction Leads to a Convergence between Epistemology and Ontology, International Ontology Conference, UPV/EHU Facultad de Educación, Filosofía y Antropología, San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain.

28/06/2021: Teleonomy as a Problem of Causation, and Causation as a Problem of Hierarchy and Time, Evolution 'on purpose', Teleonomy in living systems; 2 day online International Meeting organized by the Linnean Society of London. London and Online.

28/11/2020: Science as a public good: Lessons from Mutual Aid and Symbiology, Symposium on History and Philosophy of Science in the Russian Tradition, Second Congress of the Russian Society for History and Philosophy of Science (RSHPS), St. Petersburg, Russia and online.

15/09/2020: Networks in Science: A Philosophical Outlook. Colloquium on Networks and Evolution, Team AIRE, Sorbonne University and Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France & Online.

10/09/2019: Element thinking in early cosmologies, for the Invited Symposium: Beyond Material Culture, Reconstructing the Contents of Paleolithic Cosmologies, Protolang 6, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal

6-8/06/2018: Cultural Evolution in Light of the Extended Synthesis: The Applied Evolutionary Epistemological Approach, 3-day conference on Applications in Cultural Evolution: Arts, Languages, Technologies, University of Tartu, Estonia

16/05/2018: Roots of reticulate evolutionary theories in natural philosophy. IAS-Research Centre for Life, Mind & Society, Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science, Donostia - San Sebastián, University of the Basque Country, Spain.

15/05/2018: Explanation in evolutionary linguistic sciences: a review of epistemological frameworks. IAS-Research Centre for Life, Mind & Society, Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science, Donostia - San Sebastián, University of the Basque Country, Spain.

15/04/2018: The importance of the extended synthesis for the humanities, Satellite event for EvoLang2018 sponsored by HBES, the Human Behavior and Evolution Society, Torun, Poland.

14/12/2016: Case Study: Inter- and Trans-Disciplinarity in Origin and Evolution of Language Studies, for the session Neurosciences, Cognitive sciences and Language Studies. Third ICPOS, International Conference on Philosophy of Science, Centre for Philosophy of Science, Faculty of Science of the University of Lisbon, Portugal.

11/05/2016: Colloquium on Primate Cognition, Anatomical and Behavioral Modernity Debates and the Extended Synthesis, Lichtenberg-Kolleg: The Göttingen Institute for Advanced Study, Germany.

25/09/2015: Epistemic Pluralism and the Evolution of Communication, for the invited symposium on Ontogeny and Language Evolution, Protolang 4, Roma Tre, Italy.

17/07/2015: Book launch Reticulate Evolution & Reticulate Evolution Before and After the Modern Synthesis: Historical and Epistemological Perspectives and Wider Applications Beyond Traditional Fields, Thematic Symposium Session for the 8th meeting of the International symbiosis society (ISS 8), Lisbon, PT. (with Jan Sapp)

18/07/2014: Language Diversity as an Example of Cultural Diversity. Symposium on Evolution and Society: In the Wake of Nelson Mandela, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal.

06/06/2012: Language Evolution and Evolutionary Epistemology. Department of English, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland.

22/03/2012: Applied Evolutionary Epistemology and the Evolution of Language. Biolinguistics Initiative Barcelona, Spain.

20/03/2012: Applied Evolutionary Epistemology. Centre for Environmental Biology, University of Lisbon, Portugal.

04/10/2012: Implementing the Extended Synthesis in Evolutionary Biology into the Sociocultural Domain, Autonomous Section for the History and Philosophy of Science, Faculty of Science, University of Lisbon, Portugal.

10/05/2012: Cultural evolution models and the Extended Synthesis: how symbiogenesis and punctuated equilibria theory can be universalized and implemented in the study of cultural transmission. University of Milano Bicocca, Italy, CISEPS, Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Economics, Psychology and Social Sciences.

14-16/05/2012: Emergence in Biology. International Colloquium: Emergence and Non-Fundamentalist Metaphysics, Centre for Philosophy of Science, University of Lisbon.

14/03/2011: Wetenschap en levensbeschouwing: vijandige vrienden? In de reeks Wetenschap en levensbeschouwing, een contradictie? Vier tegensprekelijke debatten. Debat met Willem Drees. Organisatie: Centrum Pieter Gillis i.s.m. Pastorale Dienst, Raad Dienstverlening en Vrijzinnig Dienst van de Universiteit Antwerpen (Science and worldviews, enemies or friends? In the series science and worldviews, a contradiction? Four contradictory debates. Debate with Willem Drees. Centre Pieter Gillis, Pastoral & Humanist Services, Antwerp University.

10/12/2010: Identifying the units, levels and mechanisms of evolution: an epistemological approach. 7th ECCO: Evolution, complexity and cognition group, Dutch Free University of Brussels.

18/03/2010: Testimonial on Marie Curie Fellowship. Euraxess USA, European science series event at the Consulate General of Italy, New York, USA.

23/04/2009: Universalizing symbiogenesis. Evolution today and tomorrow: Darwin evaluated by contemporary evolutionary and philosophical theories, University of Lisbon, Portugal.

22/04/2009: Different trees, different evolutionary theories? (with Ricardo Santos) Illustration in Darwin: The tree as the image of life’s evolution. Ciência Viva, Lisbon, Portugal.

27/03/2009: Evolutionary Epistemology Exemplified by the Study of the Origin of Language. Ciclo de conferências sobre Filosofia das Ciências da Vida, Seminário Permanente de Filosofia das Ciência, Centre for Philosophy of Science, University of Lisbon, Portugal.

04/03/2009: Evolutionary epistemology applied to evolutionary linguistics. I Jornada de Pós-Graduação, Center for Philosophy of Science of the University of Lisbon, Portugal.

19/06/2008. How evolutionary epistemology can contribute to the study of language and culture. Complexity Workshop, Universiteit Leiden, the Netherlands.

06/03/2007. Epistemologizing evolutionary theories. Brown Bag Lecture, Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition, Altenberg, Austria.

20/04/2006. 55+ Kring van Vormingplus Volkshogeschool Gent-Eeklo, De evolutie van taal. (The origin of language)

12/01/2006. 55+ Kring van Vormingplus Volkshogeschool Gent-Eeklo, Drie theorieën omtrent de oorsprong van leven, deel II. (The origin of life II)

09/01/2006. Uitstraling Permantente Vorming, Dutch Free University of Brussels, Dienstencentrum De Boomgaard in Sint-Genesius-Rode, Leven en werk van Darwin. (Life and work of Charles Darwin)

23/12/2005. Symbiogenesis as a Fundamental Evolutionary Principle, ECCO: The Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group, Dutch Free University of Brussels.

17/10/2005. Cinema Scientifique, Dutch Free University of Brussels, Permanent Education. Les: Bespreking van de film ‘Darwin’s nightmare’. (Comment on the movie Darwin’s nightmare)

10/10/2005. Wetenschapsalfabet, van A tot Z, Dutch Free University of Brussels, Permanent Education. Charles Darwin, leven en werk. (The life and work of Charles Darwin)

22/09/2005. Lezingenreeks: 55+ Kring, Vormingshogeschool Gent – Eeklo, Drie Theorieën omtrent de oorsprong van leven, deel I. (3 theories on the origin of life, part I)

19/11/2004. De moderne synthese voorbij. (Beyond the modern synthesis) Symposium Evolutie Vandaag, betekenis van evolutie in deze tijd. Interdisciplinaire vakgroep lerarenopleiding, Museum voor Natuurwetenschappen, Brussels. (Symposium Evolution today, the meaning of evolution today, Belgian Natural History Museum)

20/03/2004. Het FOXP2-gen, een taalgen? (The FOXP2 gene, a language gene?) Forum Wijsbegeerte 2004, Dutch Free University of Brussels, Faculty of Philosophy, Brussels.

10/03/2003. Biologie anders bekeken, Dutch Free University of Brussels, Permanent Education. De oorsprong en evolutie van leven. (The origin and evolution of life)

04/12/2002. De oorsprong van taal, een vraag voor linguïstiek, biologie of filosofie? (The origin and evolution of language, a question for linguistics, biology or philosophy?) 2de DITO-bijeenkomst, Dynamisch Inter(-en trans)disciplinair Taal Onderzoek, (2nd DITO gathering, Dynamic Inter- and Transdisciplinary Language Research), Dutch Free University of Brussels, Belgium.

26/09/2023: Niche construction, metaphor thinking, time, and language evolution, Protolang 8, Rome (with Bárbara Jiménez)

12/07/2023: Situating communication and language evolution studies into the broader field of evolution research, ISHPSSB- International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology; Double Session on Language & Evolution: Constructionist views; Toronto, Canada

13/09/2022: Welcome and Introduction to Diagrams of Life and Evolution, Workshop on Diagrams of Life and Evolution, Diagrams Rome, Italy

05/09/2022: Combinatoriality and compositionality in hominin skills, Symposium on Combinatoriality and Compositionality, Joint Conference of Language Evolution, Kanazawa, Japan

05/09/2022: Convergences between timekeeping and language evolution: Evidence from the philosophy of language, Symposium on Language & Time at the Joint Conference of Language Evolution, Kanazawa, Japan

26/08/2022: Up, down, reticulate, and self-causation, insights from hierarchy theory, Philosophies, University of Kanpur, India

13/07/2022: Causation in the food web: a historical-philosophical analysis. ISO/INVA Online conference on Impacts of invasive species on food web structure, MARE, Faculty of Science, University of Lisbon, Portugal

05/07/2022: The constructive role of linguistic and conceptual metaphors and visual diagrams in cosmology and cosmography formation (with Bárbara Jiménez), LCM: Language, Culture & Mind, Spain

29/06/2022: Concepts and diagrams of space, time, and spacetime in evolutionary cosmologies (part of the theme session on Time, space and event: Poiesis of mind and languages organized by Juani Guerra and Chris Sinha), AELCO, Spanish Society of Cognitive Linguistics, Spain

03/06/2022: NASA's Ladder of Life Detection Tool: A Science Philosophical and Anthropological Analysis, Astrobiology & Society, Sweden

24/06/2021: Francesco Balzan (with Nathalie Gontier), Scientific Niche Construction. HBES : Human Behavior and Evolution Society, Online. (poster)

24/04/2021: Reticulation and synergistic trait evolution in human communities (with Anton Sukhoverkov), 2021 Digital meeting of the EHBEA, European Human Behavior and Evolution Society.

17/12/2020: Mode & Tempo of Evolution of Life on Earth and Possibly Elsewhere, SSoCIA 2020, Society for Social and Conceptual Issues in Astrobiology, Mississippi, USA & Online

12/09/2019: Origins and Evolutions of the Language-as-Knowledge versus Language-as-Communication Paradigms, Protolang 6 Satellite event on Language Throughout the Ages, University of Lisbon, Portugal

10/09/2019: Element Thinking in Early Cosmologies. Symposium: Beyond Material Culture, Reconstructing the Contents of Paleolithic Cosmologies, Protolang 6, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal

07/08/2019: Time, Causality and the Transition from Tree to Network Diagrams in the Life Sciences, CLMPST2019-16th International Congress on Logic, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science and Technology, Prague, Czech Republic

11/07/2019: Beyond genealogy: How networks enable a modelling of the extended present, ISHPSSB- International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology, Symposium Session: Networks and the Ontology of the Theory of Evolution by Means of Natural Selection.

01/07/2019: Evolutionary Epistemology and Biosemiotics, 19th Annual Gathering in Biosemiotics, Moscow State University, Russia.

22/09/2018: Pattern Similarity and Explanatory Pluralism in Biological, Sociocultural and Linguistic Sciences. Pond III: Philosophy of Science around the Mediterranean: Unity/Disunity of Science. University of Lisbon.

24/08/2018: Can we define life by how it evolves? ECMTB- European Conference on Mathematical and Theoretical Biology 2018, Lisbon, Portugal.

01/06/2018. Ancient roots of timekeeping: How philosophy and science preceded religion. Jornadas do Departamento de Historia é Filosofia das Ciências. University of Lisbon.

18/04/2018: Pattern similarity in biological, linguistic, and sociocultural evolution; EVOLANG 12, Torun, Poland.

18/12/2017: A cosmological and cosmographic history of time, for the Session Materiality of Time: Phenomenology and its Place in Archaeology. TAG 2017: Theoretical Archeology Group Conference, University of Cardiff, UK.

13/12/2017: Reticulate evolution and human enhancement, Conference on Human Enhancement and Evolution: Scientific, Technological, Policy & ELS Considerations; Centre for Philosophy of Science, University of Lisbon, PT.

27/09/2017: The units, levels and mechanisms of language evolution: a tentative ordering. Protolang 5, University of Barcelona, SP.

01/06/2017: Virtues and vices of the general trend toward implementing evolutionary theory into the sociocultural and linguistic sciences and some suggestions for policy. IASC 2017 International Conference: Crossing Borderlines: Controversies and Interdisciplinarity, University of Lisbon, PT.

16/12/2016: Time and Causality in Natural History Research. Third Lisbon International Conference on Philosophy of Science: Contemporary Issues, Centre for Philosophy of Science, Fórum Lisboa, Portugal.

03/04/2014: Past and Future of Biological Extinction. Symposium: Why Preserve Biodiversity? Organized by the Society for Environmental Ethics, University of Lisbon, Portugal.

04/12/2014: Natural and Evolutionary Causes of Species Extinction. Talk for the Symposium: Understanding and Preserving Biodiversity, Philosophy of Science in the 21st Century, Centre for Philosophy of Science, University of Lisbon, Portugal.

08/06/2013: Variation in a World with Multiple Levels, Mechanisms, and Units of Evolution: The Applied Evolutionary Epistemology Approach, talk in the ISHPSSB Symposium, Montpellier, France. Session: Understanding Variation beyond the Modern Synthesis.

27/05/2013: Applied Evolutionary Epistemology. 3-Day International Conference on Evolutionary Patterns, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal.

17/02/2013: Punctuated Equilibria: a universal pattern in life and culture, AAAS, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Boston, USA

16/02/2013: The importance of horizontal evolution for the sociocultural sciences, AAAS, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Boston, USA

15/11/2012: Units, levels and mechanisms of cultural evolution: an applied evolutionary epistemological account, AAA American Anthropological Association, San Francisco, USA.

11/07/11-17/07/11: Undoing of the biology/culture divide within evolutionary linguistics, a new methodology to study the evolution of language. ICLC 11 International cognitive linguistics association, Xi’an, China. Part of the mini-symposium/Theme session entitled: Language Evolution: Biological, Cultural, and Bio-Cultural.

22/06/11-24/06/11: Towards an overarching methodology to study the evolution of language: Identifying the units, levels and mechanisms of language evolution. SPSP 2011, Society for philosophers in practice, Egenis, Exeter, UK.

12/04/11-16/04/11: An epistemological investigation into the different theories on the rise of behavioral modernity in the hominin lineage. 80th AAPA meeting (American Association of Physical Anthropologists), Hilton, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

08/04/11-10/04/11: Towards a universally applicable evolutionary methodology: a new look upon the units and levels of evolution debate. The 4th Sydney-Tilburg conference on the philosophy of science: The authority of science. University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.

07/03/11-09/03/11: Towards an overarching methodology to study the evolution of language: identifying the units, levels and mechanisms of language evolution. A new practice of philosophy, Taking philosophy beyond disciplinary bounds. Department of philosophy and religion studies, University of Northern Texas, Denton Texas, USA.

30/07/2010: Pointing and theorizing on the evolution of language. 4th conference of the International Society for Gesture Studies (ISGS): Gesture: evolution, brain and linguistic structures. Frankfurt Oder, Germany.

15/04/2010: How to identify the units, levels and mechanisms of language evolution. The Evolution of language conference (EVOLANG 8). Utrecht, The Netherlands. (poster)

20/02/2010: An epistemological investigation into the use of evolutionary trees. AAAS meeting (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Convention center, Washington, DC, USA. (poster)

09/08/2009-15/08/2009. Symbiogenesis and the units of evolution debate: An epistemological analysis. 6th International Symbiosis Society Meeting (ISS), Madison, WI, USA. (poster)

27/02/2009: Evolutionary Epistemology applied to the Origin and Evolution of Languages. Jornadas Ibéricas IV-Lógica e Filosofia da Ciência; Project International Logics, Language and Unity of Science, Universidade de Sevilha, Spain.

05/02/2009: The evolution of language analyzed from within an evolutionary epistemological framework. Human evolution and behavior network (Heben 2009), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.

14/03/2008. An inquiry into the different units and levels of language evolution. 7th Evolution of Language conference (EVOLANG 7), Complutence University, Barcelona, Spain. (poster)

14/06/08-16/06/08: Horizontal and vertical transmission in language (evolution) studies. LCM: Language, Culture and Mind 3, University of Odense, Denmark.

13/06/2008. An inquiry into the different units and levels of language evolution. Biological explanations of behavior: Philosophical perspectives, The Leibniz House, University of Hannover, Germany.

04/06/08-08/06/08: The rise of behavioral modernity. 19th Human Behavior and Evolution Society meeting (HBES), Kyoto University, Japan.

15/11/2007. Philosophy of anthropology and the gradualism versus punctuated equilibrium debate. EPSA, European Philosophy of Science Association, Madrid, Spain.

27/07/2007. Ontological and epistemological implications of symbiosis and symbiogenesis. Theme session: The Impact of Symbiosis and Symbiogenesis on the Study of Evolution and Its Historical and Philosophical Implications I and II. ISHPSSB, Exeter, UK. (Presented by Francisco Carrapiço.)

16/07/2007. Frank, R. & Gontier, N. On constructing a research model for historical cognitive linguistics (HCL): Some theoretical considerations. Theme session on Historical Linguistics in a Cognitive Framework: From the Present to the Past and Back, 10th International Cognitive Linguistics Conference (ICLC), Krakow, Poland.

20/04/2007. Genes, Brains, and Language: Would Someone Please Pull the Brakes? From the Brain to Human Culture: Intersections between the Humanities and Neuroscience, Bucknell University, Pennsylvania, USA.

29/03/2007. Evolutionary epistemology and the unity of science. Second meeting of the philosophy of science society, La question de l’unité des sciences aujourd’hui (the question of unity of science today), University of Geneva, Ecole de physique, Switzerland.

25/11/2006. Gontier, N. & Tallon, R. Humanisme en de evolutieleer. (Humanism and evolutionary theory) 26ste Nederlands-Vlaamse Filosofiedag, Dutch Free University of Brussels.

08/11/2006. A quest for the evolutionary mechanisms that allow for a windows approach to language evolution. Cradle of language conference, University of Stellenbosch, South-Africa.

27/10/2006. Introducing universal symbiogenesis. Lisbon colloquium for the philosophy of science, theme: the unity of science, non-traditional approaches. Trindade Theater, Lisbon, Portugal.

27/08/2006. A critical examination of the social approach in language origin studies. Cognitive and Language Impairments in bipolar disorders and psychoses: the speciation of Homo sapiens and mental illness & The origins and evolution of spoken, written and signed languages. Psychiatric Brain and Language Research Society & LOS: Language Origins Society. Bagni di Lucca, Italy.

10/08/2006. Universal symbiogenesis: a genuine alternative to universal selectionism. 5th International Symbiosis Society (ISS). Universität Wien, Biocentre.

14/06/2006. On the need for a horizontal concept of evolution in language origin studies. 23rd Annual Workshop of the European Society for the Study of Cognitive Systems, Bernried, Germany.

09/12/2005. Does ontogeny recapitulate phylogeny in language evolution? Colloquium: The emergence of linguistic abilities in ontogeny and phylogeny. Laboratoire dynamique du langage. Institut des sciences de l’homme. Lyon Cedex, FR. (poster)

18/07/2005. Implementing the units and levels of selection debate into the information-transmission and the information-emerging metaphor of genetic material – an investigation into the various epistemic questions asked concerning form and function. 6th ECMTB- European Society for Mathematical and Theoretical Biology, Dresden, DE. (poster)

04/07/2005. Descartes, all over again. The international conference on Post-Cognitivist psychology, The British psychological society, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.

01/07/2005. On the implementation of Haeckel’s biogenetic law in the origin of language. 22nd European Society for the Study of Cognitive Systems – Middlesex University, North London, UK.

18/07/2004. Gontier, N. & Van Bendegem, J.P. What -in hell or for the love of God- is the scared/profane distinction doing in origin of language studies? The 1st international conference on language, culture and mind (LCM), Portsmouth, UK. (poster)

09/07/2004. Pathologies and the origin of language – an epistemological reflection. Joint Sane Powic and the LOS: Language Origin Society Meeting: The Origins of Language and Psychosis, Oxford Brooks University, UK. (poster)

26/05/2004. Evolutionary epistemology and the origin and evolution of language: taking symbiogenesis seriously. Evolutionary Epistemology, Language and Culture. Center for Logic and Philosophy of Science & Centre Leo Apostel, Dutch Free University of Brussels, Belgium.

14/05/2004. Over de noodzakelijkheid van een horizontaal evolutieconcept bij evolutionair taalonderzoek. (On the necessity for a horizontal evolutionary language concept in evolutionary linguistics) Derde Vlaams-Nederlands Congres voor Algemene en Speciale Wetenschapsfilosofie, Internationale school voor Wijsbegeerte (3rd Dutch-Flemish conference on general and special philosophy of science), Leusden, NL.

25/10/2003. Evolutionaire Epistemologie, kunst of kitsch? (Evolutionary epistemology, fake or art?) 25ste Nederlands-Vlaamse Filosofiedag – Filosofie als levenskunst, Antwerpen: Universiteit Antwerpen.