Today is the 202 birthday of Charles Darwin, one of the most influential and revolutionary thinkers of last millennium. But why is Darwin so important, so famous? When most people hear Darwin they think of 'evolution', 'natural selection',and although relevant but frequently mis-attributed 'survival of the fittest. What many other people don't know is that another man Alfred Russel Wallace independently proposed his own theory of evolution by natural selection which prompted to Darwin to publish his theory as well. What the theory of natural selection did for science in particular biology is akin to what Jesus Christ did for Christianity. The theory gave a framework by which almost all biology could be interpreted, explained and understood. It also had an immeasurable impact on religion, history, sociology, psychology and even literature, amongst many other disciplines. I'll just take this moment to point out how simple the theory is as well. Natural selection is the process whereby certain characteristics or traits (genes essentially) become more or less frequent in a population due to reproductive and survival pressures in the ancestors of that population. As time goes by a certain subset of a population may adopt a different a different trait compared to the rest of the population, eventually this can lead to the formation of a new species. It is by this mechanism humans, chimpanzees and other primates separated from their common ancestor. The process is remarkably simple but has given rise to the abundance of complex life that now occupies the biosphere of the earth.
Unfortunately, although the evidence for the theory of natural selection is irrefutable ranging from paleontology to molecular biology and comparative anatomy to comparative biochemistry amongst a reservoir of other evidence, there are still people who refute it. It really is their loss because even though some people try to explain our origins in terms of a deity, this argument is inherently complex and flawed, whilst natural selection is simple and beautiful. I recommend as it is Darwin's birthday you take a look at some of his work or the the vast spectrum of work that has exploded from the foundations that he helped to establish. And to all the budding scientists out there are still hundreds of simple yet possibly immensely revolutionary insights and theories nestling in the human mind. Take the time to explore the universe, be skeptical, be critical, be creative, be the next genius. Happy birthday Charlie from MRHP.
I am turned into a sort of machine for observing facts and grinding out conclusions.
Charles Darwin
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