Happy Darwin Day

Well here it is, 200 years since the birth of Charles Darwin and 150 years since the publication of the Origin of the Species - where Darwin properly introduced both one of the most profound and also one of the most incredibly simple scientific concepts ever - that of natural selection. Sim

ple and obvious in hindsight as it took his genius (co-discovered with Wallace, of course) to see it and to fully develop its implications.

Still 150 years on it is quite ironic and indeed bizarre that one of the simplest scientific and easiest to communicate concepts is still so misunderstood by so many. This misunderstanding being more likely due to some people still being attracted - like moths to a flame - the more byzantine, ungrounded, complex and confused archaic and antiquated meaningless ideas of creation over the more meaningful, grounded, clear spartan simplicity of natural selection and common descent.

Anyway what day is a better day than today Darwin Day is to remind everyone of Darwin and his highly valued contribution to modern evolutionary biology? There are many events happening some are listed in the the Guardian see Darwin Day in Britain, check the Darwin Day Celebration website - which claims there are 663 events schedules in 44 countries today.

Even though it is late notice why not invite any of your religious friends along, especially if they have invited you to any of their religious celebrations such as Christmas - they could hardly say no without applying a double standard could they?

Of course this is too late I know (but how about next year) but this might have been a good follow up to the Atheist Bus Campaign - wishing everyone a happy Darwin Day on buses?