In 2009 the world celebrates:

  • The 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Robert Darwin (12 Feb 1809 – 19 April 1882).
  • The 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species (24 Nov 1859).

The theories of Charles Darwin on the origin of man and life on earth are among the most powerful pieces of science ever published. They are the most important concept in biology and help us explain many phenomenons we encounter.

Even after being around for 150 and heavy attack from fellow scientist, religious leaders and politicians the conecpt of Evolution still stands up. When Darwin published “On the Origin of Species” he didn’t want to start a thought revolution of this magnitude. He purely focused on animals and downplayed the implications evolution has for our species. He also didn’t want to demystify the natural world. He famously concluded:

Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely the production of the higher animal s, directly follows. There is a grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved. [Chapter XV: "Recapitulation And Conclusion"]

(What Darwin describes here would later be called Einsteinian religion.)

After seeing his theories under constant attack by he did decide to apply his theories to humans. After “The Descent of Man”he noted:

[...] Man is descended from some less highly organised form. The grounds upon which this conclusion rests will never be shaken [...]

150 years later this statement is still true. It’s sad enough that there is still so much discussion about evolution and around half the population in industrialized nations doesn’t fully approve it. 2009 is an excellent opportunity to remind anyone who is still caught in 19th century-dogmas that a substantial part of the world does move on and has arrived in the 21st century.

When you want to know more about Darwin, I recomment the following resources:

Darwin Year 2009: Books and links to other resources
Darwin’s Dangerous Idea: a BBC Two program on the implications of Darwin’s ideas. (Parts 1, 2 and 3 on Piratebay)
On the Origion of Species (Project Gutenberg)
The Descent of Man (Project Gutenberg)

Happy Darwin Year!