Is it possible that Charles Darwin had the Irish banking system in mind when he famously said, “If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin”? Perhaps we should heed his advice that, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
Next Thursday marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of this celebrated English naturalist, best remembered as the proposer of the theory of evolution by natural selection. Darwin revolutionised scientific thinking by demonstrating that all species of life evolved over time from common ancestors and next November sees the 150th anniversary of his book On the Origin of Species, in which this startling theory was expounded.
There are several events taking place this week to mark his birth. The annual Darwin Day lecture entitled Darwin, Genetics, and the Nature of Humankind, will take place in the Davis Theatre, Trinity College, Dublin on Thursday at 7.30pm.
Also on Thursday, Dr Matthew Jebb, Keeper of the Herbarium in the national Botanic Gardens, will present an introduction to Darwin's life and discoveries in the Education and Visitor Centre at 3pm. On Sunday, February 15th, Emer O'Reilly, head gardener at Airfield House, will conduct a "Plant Evolution Walk and Talk" at Airfield House, Dundrum, Dublin, at 3pm. For information on these and further events, visit www.darwin200.ie