The complete works of one of history’s greatest scientists, Charles Darwin, are being published online.
The project run by Cambridge University has digitised some 50,000 pages of text and 40,000 images of original publications – all of it searchable. Surfers with MP3 players can even access downloadable audio files.
The resource is aimed at serious scholars, but can be used by anyone with an interest in Darwin and his theory on the evolution of life.
“The idea is to make these important works as accessible as possible; some people can only get at Darwin that way,” said Dr John van Wyhe, the project’s director.
Darwin Online features many newly transcribed or never-before-published manuscripts written by the great man.
These include a remarkable field notebook from his famous Beagle voyage to the Galapagos Islands, where detailed observations of the wildlife would later forge his scientific arguments.
The real artefact was stolen in the 1980s and is still missing, but the text has been transcribed from a microfilm copy made two decades earlier.
“It is astonishing to see the notebook that Darwin had in his pocket as he walked around the Galapagos – the scribbled notes that he took as he clambered over the lava,” said Randal Keynes, the great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin.
“If people can read it on the web and they learn that it was stolen then I think there is more chance that this very important piece of national heritage is recovered,” he told BBC News.
“The family has always wanted Darwin’s papers and manuscripts available to anyone who wants to read them. That everyone around the world can now see them on the web is simply fantastic,” said Mr Keynes.”
The site is about half-done. It will be another couple of years before all available works will be online. Wonderful to see a project like this succeed — providing the opportunity for people to read original materials, notes and analysis.
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This just in, the Tennessee legislature introduced a bill to restrict resident’s access to “certain” internet sites. Sponsors of the bill claim it is designed to “protect the children” and “preserve families”……
DAve
I suppose this great idea had to evolve over time.
And it still does đ
#1
I heard the Tennessee legislature wants to bleep/black out offensive parts of his works.
Leaving only commas and full stops.
I’ll only go to the site if it were being hosted by virus infested Ipods, chained together in a helix formation. If not, don’t waste my time.
Still into chains, eh?
Except they will have to delete a lot of which the scientific community rejected or modified.
6,
And what parts would that be?
That would what, the sections the “chrome fish sorta-scientist” decided put their babble in a bad light?
#9..agreed.
We sometimes forget that just because evolution and natural selection appear obvious to us here in the 21st century, it took someone like Darwin to point it out.
Plate techtonics and continental drift seem obvious if you look at the clues which were right there under our feet. And yet until the 1960s, the idea of continents moving around was considered absurd.
DAve
I would think the writings of any âdiscovererâ would be interesting. Crossing into the unknown with what were undoubtedly very primitive instruments. Men like Harvey mapping out anatomy, Newton explaining physics, Mendel observing genetics, and Darwin on evolution. Because they took the first steps, we are richer today.
I don’t think there would be any new light shed, but just peering into the old man’s mind would be facinating.
The idea of evolution pre-dates Darwin by thousands of years. Aristotle considered the idea, but rejected it in favor of design.
However, here at Dvorak, all must bow and worship at the feet of the Great Darwin, who is supposed to have invented all this stuff by himself. I thought people here didn’t like to worship deities…
I prefer worshipping the Flying Spaghetti Monster — or Rumpelstiltskin. Who do you worship JIm — besides yourself?
As I’ve said before.. I guess we’ll find out when we die.. đ
Pascal’s wager. Always a useful excuse.
Hey, I’m just a troll but self-worship has a lot to recommend it…
-Jim (not my real name)
i really am not trying to be flippant here
do people who don’t believe in evolution also not believe in plate tectonics and other geological forces?
i suppose if you dismiss the idea that the universe is billions of years old, then the whole science of geology must seem kind of silly too
just curious. any good hype-free links you want to share?
#12 aka Jim
Your comments are just plain ignorant at best.
“………..Darwin, who is supposed to have invented all this stuff by himself.”
Evolution is a theory. A theory that seemingly has a lot of evidence speaking well for it. It’s an ongoing process, and wasn’t “invented” at all.
As opposed to religion, where you are supposed to believe ridiculous things without the slightest grain of proof. Often with terrible, appalling attitudes towards life and fellow beings. Attitudes that should have been out of date thousands of years ago.
Religion is slowing down the process of this world’s improvement.
Religion is an invention, and a very bad one as such. Although it makes quite a few feel very well. So well that they blow them selves up just to get fast access to all those virgins awaiting in paradise….
As opposed to all religious books and dogmas, Darwin’s works can be evaluated, tested, adjusted and verified. And I like that.
Bad news for AKA Jim.
Henry Ford didn’t invent the automobile. Thomas Edison didn’t invent the electric light. And Charles Darwin didn’t invent Evolution. They all took other’s work and improved upon them until we had something very workable.
#12, “However, here at Dvorak, all must bow and worship at the feet of the Great Darwin, who is supposed to have invented all this stuff by himself. I thought people here didnât like to worship deities⌔
1. It is not here at Dvorak that most people learned about Darwin’s theories. Out of Dvorak’s blog, Darwin is admired in many places.
2. As previously stated, he didn’t invent. All he did was to be able to have sufficient insight to understand what was observable and formulate a very logical theory.
3. People don’t worship Darwin. That is a mix of a black and white thinking with a religious mindset. People who understand the theory admire Darwin for having been able to, by himself, understand evolution. So, as you can see, there is no worshipping at all. You know, there is an halfway between rejecting something and worshiping it.
4. Once again, people don’t believe in Darwin. They either understand his theories and accept them or don’t understand them at all. I’ve never talked to someone who really understood the theory and was able to point out flaws in it. If you want to believe in things, rather than understanding them, by all means, stick to religion.
5. Can you point out a logical flaw in the fundamentals of Darwin’s theory? I would really be interested in reading about a logical flaw.