Who is Charles Darwin?
Charles Darwin was born on 12 February 1809 and lived until 19 April 1882. On his travels aboard the HMS Beagle he visited many places which he wrote about in his journal. He sent back many of the specimens that he collected for expert appraisal. It was during these voyages that he came up with the idea of Natural Selection which is the basis for the modern theory of evolution. He believed that all species of life evolved over time from common ancestors and that they evolved using the process of natural selection. The process of natural selection basically states that over time favorable traits become more common in a species through several generations of reproducing organisms while unfavorable traits fade out of the genealogy. In other words the strong smart, and better adapted survive. Today February 12, 2009 marks the 200th passing of his birthday. Even after 200 years is theory still brings up many debates.
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) is undoubtedly one of the most influential natural historians to grace our planet. His concepts and theories on evolution have forever changed the way many of us view the age of Earth, and the development of species on earth. His foundational book on evolution, On the Origins of Species published in 1859, was especially challenging to the religious communities of the Western world, since a description of the gradual process of man evolving was in direct conflict to Christian thought that man was specifically created by God in God’s image. Though evolution and subsequent theories of how creatures evolve is now taught in most public schools, some still feel Darwin was completely misguided in his explanations. Other large Christian organizations like the Catholic Church, have willingly accepted Darwinian theory. Darwin’s family can be described as freethinkers. They were practicing Unitarians, though Darwin was baptized in the Anglican Church.
Charles Darwin is one of history’s most famous scientists, one of the few whose name is well-known to the general public. This year marks the 200th anniversary of his birth. But how much do you really know about him, or about why he’s so famous? Like many whose ideas inspired debate, Charles Darwin today is often reduced to a caricature, slogan, or soundbite. We see in him, and his ideas, what we want to see, and our picture of Darwin reveals at least as much about us as it does about him. Starting Thurs., Apr. 2, the University of Calgary is presenting a series of three public lectures in 2009: Unmasking Charles Darwin. Who was he really, what exactly were his big ideas, and what do they mean for us in our everyday lives?
