Now that most people have already heard about Darwin at school or even on Tv while watching some science channels, if you were told that it has been 200 years since he born, how could we celebrate the birth of the modern science?
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By Charlotte Savino
Here’s a scary statistic: 66 percent of American adults believe that humans were created in their present form within the last 10,000 years, according to a 2007 Gallup poll. (The right answer is closer to 250,000 years.) So perhaps it’s the perfect time to be celebrating — and learning about — the evolutionary discoveries of Charles Darwin.
Fortunately, there will be plenty of opportunities in 2009, as it marks the scientist’s 200th birthday (Feb. 12) and the 150th year since he published the pivotal “Origin of Species.” Here are some fun options.
Take a cruise
The Galapagos, of course, was where Darwin conducted key biological studies during his pivotal voyage on the HMS Beagle. Today, Darwin enthusiasts can retrace the scientist’s steps, seeing the islands’ black-sand beaches and blue-footed boobies on a cruise organized by the Charles Darwin Foundation in connection with Luxury Adventure (May 14–24). Randal Keynes, Darwin’s great-great-grandson, will be a part of that trip; he’ll also be on an Abercrombie & Kent excursion to Ecuador and the Galapagos (call for dates).
