New n Old 2018

“RARE STUFF”
THE 2018 NEW COLLEGE
REVUE
NC
COMMUNITY
The New College Students’ Association staged its annual theatrical Revue over three nights from 30
August to 1 September. Many Collegians contributed to make Rare Stuff (a spinoff of Netflix series
Stranger Things) a booming success. Music, drama, song and dance filled the Main Common Room
in testimony to the many hours of hard work put in by all involved under the lead of artistic directors,
Zachary Beckton and Lachlan Hamilton, and producers Lorna Arkell and Cynthia Loh. Congratulations to all
Collegians on a fantastic show!
GENETICS,
GOD AND THE
FUTURE OF
HUMANITY
Dr Denis Alexander delivered the
2018 New College Lectures on the
theme Genetics, God and the Future of
Humanity from 11-13 September. The
New College auditorium was packed
for all three nights as Dr Alexander
built his case for the need for societies
and individuals to tread carefully as
the world seeks the potential benefits
of human modification. He explored
how this is increasingly possible
through genetic modification, as
well as biological and technological
manipulation of human life. Dr
Alexander also illuminated many
of the current scientific and ethical
limitations and pointed to areas
where existing ethical norms are being
challenged.
The lectures were both
scientifically rigorous and considered
from within a biblical framework,
taking account of differing
philosophical perspectives including
transhumanism. Dr Alexander was
very generous in his question time,
answering a broad range of questions
from a diverse audience which
included residents of New College
and NCV, UNSW staff and students,
Christian theologians and students,
members of local churches and the
wider community.
An Australian launch of Dr
Alexander’s new book, Is there
Purpose in Biology? (Oxford: Lion, 2018)
preceded the first lecture.
Dr Denis Alexander is the Founding
Director of The Faraday Institute for
Science and Religion, St Edmund’s
College, University of Cambridge,
where he is Emeritus Fellow. He
is a past chair of the Molecular
Immunology Programme and Head
of the Laboratory of Lymphocyte
Signalling and Development at The
Babraham Institute, Cambridge. He
delivered the Gifford Lectures at St.
Andrews University in 2012 (published
by CUP in 2017 under the title ‘Genes,
Determinism and God’).
The lecture videos will soon be
available at www.case.edu.au
New’n’Old 2018
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