My children's schools were out last Monday, so I took a day off from work to take them to it.
Unfortunately, cameras were not allowed for the special exhibit area, so I cannot share photos here, but it turned out to be a great fun.
The exhibit not just had scientific stuff, but also had Charles Darwin's personal background as well as historical/social background. I learned that Darwin's grandfather was the founder of Wedgwood, a famous pottery company. It was interesting to learn that he was not a particularly good student (my children were VERY interested in this) when he was young and he would have become a priest if he did not go on the around the world boyage on the HMS Beagle. Darwin was only 22 when he boarded the ship and spent 5 years travelling around the world. The Beagle really went all over the place - South America, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand - not just the Galapagos Islands.
Also, it took him 23 years to finally publish his famous "The Origin of Species" after returning to London, because of the social background of the time.
They had a real elephant tortoise and an iguana from the Galapagos Islands - borrowed from the nearby zoo. These animals were very interesting!
The Darwin Exhibition was very stimulating for my children - was well as for me.
We explored the rest of the museum all afternoon - fossils, etc.
3 comments:
Another interesting fact about Darwin is that he and Abraham Lincoln were born on the same day of the same year.
I find it interesting because it ties-together political and scientific history and gives an idea of what was happening in the world.
Wow, that's very interesting. They were of complete contemporary.
Actually, da Vinci, Galileo, Newton, Einstein, etc. that came up with completely new ideas had to face controversies. They all had to fight conservative ideas.
Abraham Lincoln also had to fight it - although not of scientific theories. I think all these people were very brave.
it was fun!!
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