Darwin Day!
Feb. 12th, 2009 12:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
urbpanThe more I think about it, the more it bothers me that there isn't a bigger celebration going on about Darwin. He did have the misfortune to be born on the same day as the Greatest American President, so he's suffering from some eclipse. But that doesn't exempt the scientific and natural history community from my scorn. There should be huge parties, Darwin Days at all science museums and zoos with free admission and lots of discussion of Darwin's influence on the subject of Biology, and how his work led to VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING we know about living things today.
As important as Lincoln was, in 5000 years there's a good chance that the United States will no longer exist and will be remembered as a weird place that dominated the 20th century and was the last place that had a major slave industry. If America is remembered, Lincoln should be remembered for his role in emancipation. If not, he will be remembered as a mysterious bearded face on a tiny copper colored coin.
Darwin on the other hand, is a much more important figure, as important as Archimedes, Newton, Curie, and so on. As long as there is a continuous thread of human knowledge, Darwin should be remembered for his vital contribution to the understanding of biology; he should be remembered for making it clear that all life on earth (which is still all the life that we know exists) came from a single lineage. All living things are derived from a common ancestor and are related to one another.
As important as Lincoln was, in 5000 years there's a good chance that the United States will no longer exist and will be remembered as a weird place that dominated the 20th century and was the last place that had a major slave industry. If America is remembered, Lincoln should be remembered for his role in emancipation. If not, he will be remembered as a mysterious bearded face on a tiny copper colored coin.
Darwin on the other hand, is a much more important figure, as important as Archimedes, Newton, Curie, and so on. As long as there is a continuous thread of human knowledge, Darwin should be remembered for his vital contribution to the understanding of biology; he should be remembered for making it clear that all life on earth (which is still all the life that we know exists) came from a single lineage. All living things are derived from a common ancestor and are related to one another.
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Date: 2009-02-12 06:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-12 06:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-12 06:27 pm (UTC)http://www.darwinbicentennial.org/
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Date: 2009-02-12 06:19 pm (UTC)On another holiday/commemorative note, Black History Month is very low-profile here this year compared to previous years, and I'm wondering if that too is a case of being overshadowed by the Huge Lincoln Anniversary.
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Date: 2009-02-12 06:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-12 06:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-12 07:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-12 07:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-12 07:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-12 08:04 pm (UTC)But yeah, I agree in general with you that it should be a bigger deal.
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Date: 2009-02-12 08:28 pm (UTC)Happy Birthday, Darwin.
Maybe someday you'll be properly appreciated.
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Date: 2009-02-12 09:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-13 12:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-13 01:23 am (UTC)I agree with you, however... when I wished my husband happy darwin day this morning he said "Oh, that means it's lincoln's birthday"
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Date: 2009-02-13 03:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-13 06:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-13 11:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-13 01:13 pm (UTC)Amazing how many people don't believe in climate change either, including the Northern Ireland environment minister.
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Date: 2009-02-13 01:13 pm (UTC)