Five hundred miles to the west of Ecuador the Galápagos Islands rise, a lonely cluster of rocks, from the Pacific. They emerge from the deeps, far off the continental shelf of South America, towering above a flat seabed more than 6,500 feet down. The Galápagos are a volcanic … [Read more...]
Darwin’s Evolution Theory and its importance in the 21st Century
Theories don’t last in science. A scientific theory is a model that explains, based on the existing evidence, how some aspect of the universe works. When new evidence is discovered it can blow the existing theories apart and help build an entirely new one. A classic example is … [Read more...]
Evolution and Charles Darwin’s Struggle with Non-Believers
Whenever a new theory overturns decades of scientific research there’s always some resistance. Usually this comes from other scientists, experts who’ve invested too much of their career in the old theory to abandon it without a struggle. Occasionally small, eccentric movements … [Read more...]
Charles Darwin’s Family and Earlier Years
The family Charles Darwin was born into was in many ways typical of the English upper classes, but in others deeply unconventional. His parents weren’t aristocrats but they were still wealthy, influential people. Robert Darwin was a successful doctor and financier; his wife … [Read more...]
Charles Darwin – Understanding Natures Natural Selection
Darwin had set out from England as an undistinguished young man with an interest in natural history; he returned as a famous scientist. At almost every port on the voyage he had been sending letters and papers home, and they had surprised and impressed some of Britain's leading … [Read more...]