Today, in 1809, Charles Darwin was born. This day would have seemed no different to the scientific world but this man along with a few others would come up with a theory which would re-shape the biological world and create the theory which most of the biology would centre around.
You will find many blogs about how this man inspired others and many other works that he did throughout his life time. But I thought I would discuss something else, a dream of mine.
In this dream I was in a hotel in London and sat on my bed my an old looking Charles Darwin on the phone to his wife (so not realistic.. oh wait I am talking to an 205 year old man!). He comes off the phone and asks me to explain what has changed since his death. Now I couldn't decide if to tell him the good news or the bad news first. But I decided to go with the good news, and I told him that his theory of natural selection is going strong and despite there still being some people who don't think it is correct, that is was one of the most important theories for biological sciences. Then came the bad news, I had to tell him that his theory on how traits were passed onto to the next generation, Pangenesis wasn't correct. But I got to explain the revelation of DNA and how this has helped support his theory. Whilst telling about DNA we were walking to the Natural History Museum to show him how the building had changed. Unfortunately my dream ended after me telling him about the advances of DNA and him replying, "Hmm, it is something to think about".
But this dream got me thinking. If this was possible, what would people say to influential people. Like Martin Luther King, Einstien, Newton and other people a like. I guess I would try and tell them how there actions and ideas had changed the world for better or for worse. How they would take it, as well as all the other advances in the modern world, no one will ever know. That is until time travel is invented!!
So what people from the past do you find influential and what would you tell them today?
And finally,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLES DARWIN!!!
