Charles Darwin gets no respect

The Father of Evolution has been in the news a lot lately, and not much of it has been good.
First, the author's groundbreaking "On the Origin of the Species" gets a rewrite. And it's not by a scientist or an educator -- no, it's by a religious organization championed by former teen heart-throb Kirk Cameron. Yes, this guy.
The new version of Darwin's book detailing the theory of evolution now includes an introduction calling Darwin a racist and connecting the science to Adolf Hitler.
It's been said before -- many times -- but as soon as you start crying "Nazi!" everyone pretty much stops listening to you. And for good reason. Is this any way to treat someone on their 150th birthday?
And then there was news from across the Atlantic: an extremely rare first edition of Origin of the Species had been found in Oxford, England! Where has the book been for the past century and a half? Well, in a bathroom -- for a few years, at least. A British family bought the book 40 years ago, presumably unaware of its value, until Christie's auction house got a hold of it. They expect the book to sell for $99,000.
But before you all rush to your restrooms searching for your own first editions, I do have some good news for evolution fans: On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation. It's a beautiful book, with rich illustrations and no Hitler references. Go check it out!








Comments
Thanks for the link to the graphic novel. Seems like a perfect Christmas present for a budding scientist in our household.
Posted by: a parent | November 24, 2009 10:19 AM