CHARLES Darwin died 120 years ago yet his ideas continue to provoke heated debate both inside and outside the scientific arena. So what exactly did he discover? Did he steal his ideas from Welshman Alfred Russel Wallace? And why is Darwin so fundamental to modern biology and medicine? Did he get it all right? Is natural selection a theory, a hypothesis or a principle, and does it really explain the origin of the species?

In this year's Pembrokeshire Darwin Science Festival, Charles Darwin Lecture, Professor Anthony Campbell will tackle these controversial questions. He will show that there are still fundamental unanswered questions about our own origins, and the origin of life itself. He will also show that a belief in Darwin's ideas is vital if we are to re-establish the value of spirituality, whatever faith, in an increasingly materialistic world.

Whatever your views on GM, Professor Campbell will explain exactly what evolution is, and why it is vital to have Darwin top of the agenda as the 21st century becomes dominated by the era of the genome and genetic engineering. Darwin's revolutionary ideas must be central to solving the huge problems of disease that medicine still faces. Our management of the environment and an understanding of ourselves cannot themselves evolve without Darwin.

The lecture is being held in the Merlin Theatre, Pembrokeshire College, Haverfordwest, at 7 for 7.30 pm, on Thursday, June 13.

Tickets are £3 (£1.50 concessions) and must be booked through the Festival Office, tel. 01646 699220 or e-mail [email protected]">[email protected]