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My fellow primates,did you know that Charles Darwin was born on this day 200 years ago? Extract from The New York Times:

Charles Darwin developed the first scientific theory of evolution. His books--in particular the Origin of Species--became the bedrock upon which modern biology stands.

Darwin was born in 1809 to wealthy parents, and as a teenager he was expected to become a doctor like his father, Robert. But after he enrolled in the University of Edinburgh, he proved more interested in natural history than medicine. Darwin moved to Cambridge, where he began to train to be a clergyman--a common path for affluent young Englishman with an interest in nature. But an invitation to join a voyage around the world aboard the HMS Beagle altered the direction of his life one final time: over the next five years Darwin was transformed into a naturalist.

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Another article of worthwhile mention is Olivia Judson's "The Origin of Darwin" which appeared today in the Op-Ed section of The New York Times. She says:

Unlike many members of the human species, Darwin makes an easy hero. His achievements were prodigious; his science, meticulous. His work transformed our understanding of the planet and of ourselves.

At the same time, he was a humane, gentle, decent man, a loving husband and father, and a loyal friend. Judging by his letters, he was also sometimes quite funny. He was, in other words, one of those rare beings, as likable as he was impressive.

For example, after his marriage, Darwin worked at home, and his children (of the 10 he fathered, seven survived to adulthood) remembered playing in his study. Later, one of his sons recounted how, after an argument, his father came up to his room, sat on his bed, and apologized for losing his temper. And although often painted as a recluse, Darwin served as a local magistrate, meting out justice in his dining room.

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Now, did you ever wonder why Darwin was able to accomplish so much and be ahead of his contemporaries? Read what Nicholas Wade had to say about Darwin:

One of Darwin’s advantages was that he did not have to write grant proposals or publish 15 articles a year. He thought deeply about every detail of his theory for more than 20 years before publishing “On the Origin of Species” in 1859, and for 12 years more before its sequel, “The Descent of Man,” which explored how his theory applied to people.

He brought several intellectual virtues to the task at hand. Instead of brushing off objections to his theory, he thought about them obsessively until he had found a solution. Showy male ornaments, like the peacock’s tail, appeared hard to explain by natural selection because they seemed more of a handicap than an aid to survival. “The sight of a feather in a peacock’s tail, whenever I gaze at it, makes me sick,” Darwin wrote. But from worrying about this problem, he developed the idea of sexual selection, that females chose males with the best ornaments, and hence elegant peacocks have the most offspring.

Darwin also had the intellectual toughness to stick with the deeply discomfiting consequences of his theory, that natural selection has no goal or purpose. Alfred Wallace, who independently thought of natural selection, later lost faith in the power of the idea and turned to spiritualism to explain the human mind. “Darwin had the courage to face the implications of what he had done, but poor Wallace couldn’t bear it,” says William Provine, a historian at Cornell University. (Read commentary by Dr. Provine on passages from "On the Origin of Species." )

Darwin’s thinking about evolution was not only deep, but also very broad. He was interested in fossils, animal breeding, geographical distribution, anatomy and plants. “That very comprehensive view allowed him to see things that others perhaps didn’t,” says Robert J. Richards, a historian at the University of Chicago. “He was so sure of his central ideas — the transmutation of species and natural selection — that he had to find a way to make it all work together.” (Dr. Richards comments on "On the Origin of Species.") For more please click here.

Now I am in NO way saying that I believe in Darwinism. I don't. Take a look at Carl Safina's discourse on "Darwinism Must Die So That Evolution May Live". He said:

Equating evolution with Charles Darwin ignores 150 years of discoveries, including most of what scientists understand about evolution. Such as: Gregor Mendel’s patterns of heredity (which gave Darwin’s idea of natural selection a mechanism — genetics — by which it could work); the discovery of DNA (which gave genetics a mechanism and lets us see evolutionary lineages); developmental biology (which gives DNA a mechanism); studies documenting evolution in nature (which converted the hypothetical to observable fact); evolution’s role in medicine and disease (bringing immediate relevance to the topic); and more.

By propounding “Darwinism,” even scientists and science writers perpetuate an impression that evolution is about one man, one book, one “theory.” The ninth-century Buddhist master Lin Chi said, “If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.” The point is that making a master teacher into a sacred fetish misses the essence of his teaching. So let us now kill Darwin.Please click here to continue reading.

Personally, I find Charles Darwin and his works utterly fascinating. The fact that he could be so progressive while devoid of all the contraptions of modern society, in particular the internet, and also volumes of reference books, seems to tell me that mankind has NOT really progressed with the death of critical and creative thinking skills. A man, far ahead of his times indeed, Darwin was able to plod in his investigations without knowing how much he was right about so many things...and he did it purely for the quest of knowledge, not for any paper qualifications!

It is my prayer and hope that there will be more people like him in this world who will persevere in their undying pursuit of knowledge...

Happy 200th Birthday, Mr. Charles Darwin!!!