Michael Neve on Darwin

Just for context I come from a country where Darwin is an extremely non controversial figure.

As a matter of opinion I think that it is a huge pity that a bunch of ignorant morons who really believe that Christianity and Darwinism are opposites can all but destroy or sideline one of the greatest figures in science who ever lived. The fact that they are quite happy to do this on the say so of other morons without ever once doing any independent investigation is absolutely gobsmacking.

Darwin was a very private man but he was a big letter writer and would enter into just about any correspondence. I often wish that his detractors would be a little more private.

Darwin was a good person not just a good scientist and this is where this WSJ article by Michael Neve goes. The author imagines how Darwin would operate in today’s world of instant, everywhere electronic communication.

Darwin’s tirelessness as a letter writer was matched only by his indebtedness to his correspondents, so long as they stayed at arm’s length. Darwin on a mobile phone? No. Darwin on email? Reluctantly. Darwin texting complex observations on barnacles? You must be joking. But Darwin as a prompt correspondent to all interested parties? You bet. Anonymity and knowledge combined and shared. No celebrity.

I actually think that he would have been very big on email but he would have dealt with it once or twice a day. He wouldn’t have been a slave to it.

The idea of a method to debate at a distance but in close to real time would have been bonus territory for Darwin.

A hat tip to leplan – I wouldn’t have seen the article otherwise.