Oct. 18, Tuesday -- UC Davis environmental science and policy professor Peter Richerson gives his own take on a hot national topic with a noon-time talk titled "Not By Genes Alone: How Culture Transformed Human Evolution." The lecture is part of the 2005-06 UC Davis Public Policy Watch series. Richerson co-wrote a book by the same title with Robert Boyd, UCLA professor of anthropology. They have adapted the methods of population genetics for studying culture, suggesting that like gene frequencies, the frequencies of various cultural ideas or behaviors change over time. This theory helps explain the unique features of human behavior and thinking in various populations. The talk, sponsored by the Institute of Governmental Affairs, is open to the public and will be held at noon in the IGA Reading Room, in 360 Shields Library. Contact: Mary Davis, Institute of Governmental Affairs, (530) 752-5570, mvdavis@ucdavis.edu.