Darwin ... rockstar personna long after his death

Well since we returned to the UK one of the major themes in the popular culture is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of his publication about the Origin of the Species and Natural Selection. There have been several great BBC documentaries about Darwin (some narrated by Richard Attenborough) and his contributions to scientific understanding of the world not just around us but that we are part of and fully immersed in. The Royal Mint has issued a commemorative £2 Darwin coin, the Royal Post has issued Darwin stamp sets, and several universities are hosting Darwinian events and lectures.

Religous fundamentalist arguments aside (far far aside), we are huge fans of his ideas and they resonate with us and our love of nature having spent so much time hiking and camping in it. In particular I think that if you believe that all life is linked and genetically related going back far enough, then it is easier for many to take a more respectful and a conservationist approach. Believing that we are part of a larger web of life, then it follows even more imperatively that we should sustain the planet's bio-diversity and follow a harmonious role within it ... rather than an approach of dominion over and exploitation of other species.

Interestingly and I think pretty cool, Darwin went to the University of Edinburgh like Harriet did (although he didn't graduate from there).