Results tagged “Charles Darwin” from Intelligent Travel Blog

Talk about a cause to celebrate! It's been 200 years since naturalist Charles Darwin's birth and 150 years since his pioneering publication On the Origin of Species first rocked the scientific world.  In honor of the milestone occasion, the University of Cambridge, where Darwin was a student, is hosting a festival this week through July 10 as part of a yearlong series of events marking the university's 800th anniversary.

Over 100 scientists, writers, artists and performers will commemorate Darwin's work at more than 40 events around Cambridge. Speakers and performers include Sir David Attenborough, Ian McEwan, Professor Richard Dawkins, Sir Terry Pratchett, Richard Leaky, and Harold Varmus among many others.

If you're not a scientist or your level of evolutionary expertise consists of that one high school biology course you took eons ago, don't fear. The wide range of events caters to all interests, from scientific debates to art exhibitions to stand-up comedy. Street-side performances include interpretations of the evolution of juggling, music, and voice, while the evening Fringe Festival features plays, comedy shows, and film screenings.

"Nowhere else this year will you find such breadth of expertise gathered in one place, at one time, to discuss and celebrate Darwin's work," Darwin Festival director Mirand Gomperts said. "The Festival is a key event in the University of Cambridge's 800th anniversary year. We hope that as many people as possible will enjoy this unique opportunity and discover how Darwin's ideas can help us tackle the challenges we will face in the future."

Today at lunch, we got a sneak peek of "Darwin's Secret Notebooks," a new program airing next week on the National Geographic Channel. Upon arriving back at my desk, I emailed the TV crew for a clip, so here's a snippet to whet your appetite for all things evolutionary.

The show is part of the celebration of the bicentennial of Charles Darwin's birth (fun fact: did you know that he and Abraham Lincoln were born on the very same day?) and traces the path of the Beagle and how his theory of evolution developed through his travels. Contrary to popular belief, it was not actually the finches on the Galapagos that got Darwin excited, but a handful of mockingbirds that intrigued him (the finches came later).  And did you know that of the five years that the ship sailed, the crew only spent a total of five weeks on the islands?

This segment of the program features the Patagonian region of South America where the crew of the Beagle spent the majority of their time, and where Darwin first began to arrive at his theories.

You can catch the entire show on Tuesday, February 10 at 9P et/pt.

Read more: National Geographic magazine has two articles on Darwin in the February issue, as well as this tricky Darwin trivia quiz.

Video: The National Geographic Channel