Influence of Darwins Life and Philosophies on Modern Scientists - Essay Example

In Darwin's Footsteps The science of naturalism deals with evolution of life on planet earth. Charles Darwin was the first naturalist to have provedthat all species of life descended from common ancestors. Known as the Natural Selection, the process of evolution has been a subject of much observation and extensive research among later Darwin scholars, biologists, entomologists, botanists and so on. This paper attempts to throw light on the influence of Darwin's life and philosophies on modern scientists who strive to follow the footsteps of their mentor. We have chosen an eminent team of Darwin scholar, evolutionary biologist, entomologist, botanist, conservationist, cameraman, sound recordist, editor, composer, producer and director who reexamined Darwin's observations on Galapagos birds. The life of Charles Darwin was as eventful as his works. He had keen interest in natural history from his boyhood days. Even though his mother died when he was just a little boy, he had a proper and cultivated upbringing courtesy to the care of his older brother Erasmus who looked after the schooling of Darwin. He picked up things that interested him quickly and paid attention to medical studies in the initial phase of his university life. Later on he learned taxidermy from John Edmonstone, a black slave born in Demarara in the continent of South America. The 'Journey of the Beagle' was the most important voyage that Darwin embarked on to explore the evolution of life on earth. His main objectives during this journey were to collect specimens of natural history and to investigate geology. Theoretical speculations were made along with acute observations on marine invertebrates. Darwin's stature as a scientist rose to dizzying heights by the time the Beagle returned in 1836. He settled in Cambridge to work on the publication of papers on evolution of species. Darwin's experimental observations on the Galapagos birds were among the primary topics of his theory, which were to be reassessed by our team of Darwin scholars. To proceed furthermore with the discussion in hand, let us look at the team that has made a reliving quest in the Galapagos to remind us of the pros and cons of natural imbalance. Our team consists of: 1) Frank J. Sulloway - Darwin scholar 2) William H. Durham - Evolutionary Biologist 3) Mark W. Moffett - Entomologist 4) Greg de Nevers - Botanist 5) Roger A. Lang, Jr. - Conservationist 6) Lance Milbrand - Cameraman 7) Kathy Turco - Sound Recordist 8) Patrick Gambuti, Jr. - Editor 9) Michael Whalen - Composer 10) Bruce Weiss - Producer/Director Frank J. Sulloway is one of the most famous Darwin scholars to have been inspired by the dedication and vision of Charles Darwin himself. Sulloways's life and philosophies have been shaped to a great extent by the adventurous spirit of Darwin. The sphere of his personal works is based on the evolutionary theory. Dr. Sulloway has used the basics of this theory to investigate into the relation between family dynamics and personality development. He has shown through research and supporting evidences that birth order has an impact on personality and behavior. His famous book Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and Creative Lives captures the spirit of scientific reasoning along with the indomitable thirst to explore the unknown, much in sync with the mind of his mentor Charles Darwin. (Sulloway.org, 2009) In the context, one might quote the words of Professor John Stevens Henslow at Cambridge University. He viewed Darwin as "the best qualified person I know who is likely to undertake such a situation." (Sulloway, p. 121) The team collectively put a great deal of effort on its own to recreate the past exploration in the Galapagos Island in 2002. If we trace the similarities between what it was like 160 years ago when a young Charles Darwin made his visit to the island and how it was in 2002, we will first of all observe the physical as well as mental condition of the explorers. Each member of our chosen team of naturalists was at their fittest best when they toured the island. The hazardous natural condition (covered by lava) of the Galapagos demands extreme caution and physical fitness. When Darwin worked in the island, his mind was as occupied by the immediate physical threats as it was with accumulating and studying samples. The legend has it that it was in the Galapagos where Darwin finalized his famous theory of evolution. As opposed to this widespread belief, our expedition team proved that Darwin was not so sure about his own fundamental assumptions on evolution and data collecting procedures. It was only when he went back to England that he thought over his visit to the Galapagos and arrived at the theory of evolution. The mission is to show not just the technical aspects of a scientific expedition, but also to discover the human side of a scientific genius that was also reflected in a team of experts. Going by the old adage that the abstract form of science is always deep-rooted philosophy concerning a greater understanding of life in general, the project team unearths in the Galapagos how Charles Darwin revolutionized the thinking of his time and the time to come. The team was spearheaded by Frank J. Sulloway, one of the most reputed modern Darwin scholars and an award-winning science historian at the University of California (Sulloway.org, 2009) and William H. Durham, an award-winning professor of Biology and Anthropology at Stanford University. They were amply supported by eight other members, each noted in their respective fields. In order to attain the intended goal of the exploration, the team deployed state-of-the-art technological aids such as Global Positioning System equipments. These GPS instrumentations helped in locating Darwin's route in the Galapagos Archipelago. One of the most important outcomes of the expedition was the rectification of inappropriate information regarding Darwin's route, his discoveries and responses. It might be said in the context that due to lack of available data, we had to depend on faulty assumptions until this project was carried in 2002. One might also take the project as a 'behind the curtain' story of the Galapagos Island in the sense that modern day visitors are not allowed to see the entire island that scientific explorers have access to. So the team of experts brought out the untold and fascinating side of an island which is unarguably a 'living laboratory' of natural lives thriving in wilderness (Darwinsfootsteps.org, 2003). References 1. "Frank J. Sulloway". Sulloway.org. 2009. Retrieved from: http://www.sulloway.org/index.html on February 1, 2009 2. "In Darwin's Footsteps, A Documentary". Darwinsfootsteps.org. 2003. Retrieved from: http://www.darwinsfootsteps.org/project.html on February 1, 2009 3. Sulloway, Frank J. The Darwinian Heritage. 1985. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Read More