A game changer.

This work by Charles Darwin changed the way people think about the origin of life on Earth. His book the Origin of Species (short title) was published this day in 1859. It was a bestseller, with 1250 copies sold immediately; in January 1860, a 2nd edition of 3000 copies was rushed out to meet demand. The Darwin Online census know where many of the original books are; some view it as one of the most important books ever written. The publication caused uproar in Victorian society; copies were burned and the author was denounced from the pulpit as it offered an alternative position to creationism. The book split the scientific community of it’s day too. My copy is the 6th edition (each edition evolved) from 1872, published and abridged in 1979. I bought it not long after starting a PhD at University of London; Foyles bookshop was a good place to go on a Saturday in 1980.

Darwin is also known for a journey he undertook a round-the-world voyage aboard HMS Beagle; he set sail on 27 December 1831 and returned on 2 October 1836. He was a notable ornithologist. During the voyage he spent time on land investigating geology and making natural history collections comprising animals, fossils and plants etc. After the trip Darwin went on to become an expert in many fields of emerging science and saw links across geology, zoology and biology and more. The inception of his theory on evolution, including natural selection, began after the HMS Beagle journey and ultimately became his life’s work.

I re-read a bit of Darwin this evening and dipped into a Cambridge University website (Darwin Project). Earlier, I painted a bit more and we’d a short walk when doing some tasks locally late afternoon after the rain.

Family are fine. Younger son dropped by with something he’d collected for me after work.