MDBCs 12 Feb 2023

The unofficial holiday honors the life and work of English naturalist Charles Darwin. Also known as International Darwin Day, the day is a celebration of science and humanity.

Theory of Evolution

Born in 1809, Charles Darwin revolutionized the field of natural history by putting forth the theory of evolution by natural selection. In his book On the Origins of Species published in 1859, he argued that all present-day life forms on Earth came from a single ancestor and that diversity in the animal and plant kingdom came about due to natural selection, migration, extinction, and genetic mutations.

Celebrated Worldwide

While initially contested, Darwin's theory of evolution is now widely accepted as fact and theory in the scientific community.

Darwin Day has been celebrated off and on since his death in 1882. In 2000, three Darwin fans, Dr. Robert Stephens, Prof. Massimo Pigliucci, and Amanda Chesworth created the Darwin Day Program. The program was later named the Darwin Day Celebration, a non-profit organization committed to science education. Today Darwin Day celebrations are held all around the world.

How to Celebrate?

Get a crash course on evolution and natural selection.
Read Charles Darwin's book The Origin of Species.
Visit your local natural history museum and spend the day among dinosaur bones.

Did You Know…

…that the full title of Darwin’s seminal book is: On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life?

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Ed: I bought the world’s worst thesaurus yesterday.

Fred: How bad is it?

Ed: Not only is it awful, it’s awful.

***

Q: What weighs more, a gallon of water or a gallon of butane?

A: The water. Butane is lighter fluid.

***

I went to a smoke shop to discover that it has been replaced by an apparel store.

Clothes, but no cigar.

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Q: If you're an American in the kitchen, what are you when you're in the bathroom?

A: European!

***

The new draftee refused to march with his squad. Instead, he rode his invisible motorcycle beside them while making motorcycle noises. After a few weeks of this and several psychiatric exams, he was given a discharge. He rode his Hog to the main gate, propped it up on its invisible stand and walked out.

"Hey," called the gate guard. "You forgot your bike."

"No," replied the draftee, "I'm leaving it for the next guy who wants to get out."

***

As my wife and I prepared for our garage sale, I came across a painting. Looking at the back, I discovered that I had written “To my beautiful wife on our fifth anniversary. I love you … Keith.”

Feeling nostalgic about a gift I’d given her 25 years earlier, I showed it to her, thinking we should rehang the picture.

After gazing at my message for a few seconds, she replied,

“You know, I think a black marker would cover over all that so that we could sell it.”