Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882). His theory of evolution by natural selection, now the unifying theory of the life sciences, explained where all of the astonishingly diverse kinds of living things came from and how they became exquisitely adapted to their particular environments. His theory reconciled a host of diverse kinds of evidence such as the succession of fossil forms in the geological record, the geographical distribution of species, recapitulative appearances in embryology, homologous structures, vestigial organs and nesting taxonomic relationships. No other explanation before or since has made sense of these facts.In further works Darwin demonstrated that the difference between humans and other animals is one of degree not kind. In geology, zoology, taxonomy, botany, palaeontology, philosophy, anthropology, psychology, literature and theology Darwin's writings produced profound reactions, many of which are still ongoing. Yet even without his evolutionary works, Darwin's accomplishments would be difficult to match. His brilliantly original work in geology, botany, biogeography, invertebrate zoology, psychology and scientific travel writing would still make him one of the most original and influential workers in the history of science. Darwin's writings are consequently of interest to an extremely wide variety of readers.

OCTOBER 1884.

Darwin at age 7, 1816

Charles Darwin, age 51

Emma and Leonard Darwin

Emma DARWIN

Annie Darwin

Charles and William Darwin, 1842Francis Darwin, his scientist son

George Howard Darwin (1845–1912), British mathematician.

Darwin’s study

Charles Darwin's 1837 sketch, his first diagram of an evolutionary tree from his First Notebook on Transmutation of Species (1837) on view at the the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan.

Darwin, C. R. 1846. Geological observations on South America. Being the third part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. Fitzroy, R.N. during the years 1832 to 1836. London: Smith Elder and Co.

Diagram representing the divergence of species

1859

Darwin's finches or Galapagos finches. Darwin, 1845. Journal of researches into the natural history and geology of the countries visited during the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle

Geospiza magnirostris Gould, 1837

Categories: Geospiza

Geospiza fortis

Geospiza parvula

Certhidea olivacea Gould, 1837

TEORIA EVOLUTIEI A LUI DARWIN

Charles Darwin. Manuscript letters to George Grey

Ruinas da casa

Statue at the Antwerp zoo; Belgium

In his on-camera parts in his mockumentary movie “Expelled!” Ben Stein paid a visit to the statue of Charles Darwin in the British Museum (too bad Stein didn’t bother to visit any of the exhibits).It was a brave move.  Stein, ever the prankster, surely understood that his move would be open to pranking itself.  Sure enough, The Beagle Project sponsored a captioning contest, similar to The New Yorker’s cartoon captioning contests.

In 2009 se implinesc 200 de ani de la nasterea lui Darwin si 150 de ani de la publicarea primei editii a cartii “Asupra originii speciilor prin selectie naturala sau pastrarea raselor favorizate in lupta pentru existenta”. Cu toate ca n-a fost nici primul, nici ultimul ganditor care a tratat acest subiect, el este unul dintre cei mai controversati oameni de stiinta din toate timpurile.