Historical Interview: Charles Darwin

Nureen Zahoor

Interviewee: Charles Darwin

Historical Interview Script

Interviewer: Hello everyone, welcome to the Evolution Talk Show: the Tournament of Impact Edition! Today we will be interviewing English naturalist Charles Darwin to see how he has had the most impact on American history with his scientific and secular work. So, Charles, let’s start from the beginning. Tell me about your childhood. What events led you to become one of the most important naturalists in the world?

Charles Darwin: Well, you see, I was born in England. As a child my father wanted me to be go into medicine, so he sent me to Edinburgh University, which had the best scientific education out of all the British universities. I acted as if it the whole experience

So after going to Edinburgh, did you officially start your career?

Darwin: No, no, no. I had to go through much more schooling. My father switched me to Christ’s College at Cambridge University after he realized that I did not intend to become a doctor of any sort. He thought that Christ’s College would offer me religious guidance since I decided to become something other than a doctor.

Interviewer: Ah, I see. So after your schooling, what is it that jump started your interest in naturalism? You said you went to Christ’s College, but apparently the religious environment did not affect you much, did it?

Darwin: I suppose not. After I finished school though, I was invited to be apart of the H.M.S. Beagle voyage as a naturalist. This ship was going to research for about 2 years in South America. This trip, I believe, is what gave me the final push to start researching my own theories about the ecosystem and evolution.

Interviewer: What was it about this trip that was so life-changing for

Also, during this trip, I wrote a diary, which was published after I came back home. It is called the Journal of Researches into the Geology and Natural History of the Various Countries Visited by H.M.S. Beagle. This book, I suppose, was the start of my well-known career, when people began to take interest in my work.

Interviewer: Wow! So, was it the public’s attention that encouraged you to present your theories of natural selection and evolution?

Darwin: Actually, I feared to show my theories to the public. At the time, I thought that believing in evolution was ‘like confessing a murder’, due to the fact that religion was a dominant force in that era. It was in the 1850s when I started to release my ideas in a book called On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. I was very fearful of what people would think of my ideology, so I did not make very many public appearances. But, it seems as if my work has had a lasting impact on society.

Interviewer: It sure has! Final question of the day here: Why do you think that you should receive the award for having the most impact on American