PBS Special: The Great Works of Charles Darwin

807 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: 1. what is darwin’s contribution to modern science

In the PBS special several people came together to marvel in the great works of Charles Darwin and the scientific advancements that have really put his theory to the test. Many things have come about since Darwin proposed his ideas that both challenged and strengthened his ideas. Things like DNA and scientific technologies. Even though Darwin got the ball rolling for the theory of evolution he really did not fully grasp everything. He didn’t know exactly how it all worked mechanically. He was very good with his observations of changes that took place, but why these changes took place he just didn’t yet understand.
DNA technology and advancements in technology in general, advancements in scientific discoveries and scientists who shared the love of evolution and wanted to further Darwin’s work brought an outstanding amount of evidence and information to be used to further expand on the theory of evolution. One of the most astonishing technological advancements was the mapping of the human genome and the genome of other species and the ability to compare DNA. With this gene sequencing were analyzed and compared showing various similarities and differences, this ultimately strengthened the idea that somewhere millions to billions of years ago there is a common ancestor of all species. We can see that many of the same genes that perform very specific duties are almost identical among species. Hox genes, which are found among all complex species, are a very important discovery because they show how closely related species really are. The same genes that code for one body part in one species are the she same genes that code for the same body part in a non-related species.
Another fascinating idea mentioned in the PBS special was that...

... middle of paper ...

... things have come to the light that strengthened those things he couldn’t answer. DNA, mapping the human genome, other species’ genomes, discovery of HOX genes and switches, the discoveries that link species together like the paddle fish and Tiktalik have all helped contributed to understanding and accepting Darwin’s theory of evolution. The fossil record is not complete, but with Darwin’s Ideas, scientists and believers of evolution the theory of evolution has become an accepted aspect of life and how species adapted to survive. The dedication of Darwin and others after Darwin led to some pretty amazing discoveries about life. I do not believe that evolution would be as important as it is today had Darwin not been so adamant to prove that evolution does happen and because of all the discoveries along the way many things have benefitted especially that of medicine.

Show More
Related

  • Charles Darwin The Evolutionist

    605 Words  | 2 Pages

    Evolution is the reason for many different species and their existence. Evolution proves that there is much more to the world than the human can see. Charles Darwin looked into the eye of the storm, and found something revolutionary. His research has changed and reshaped science in it’s very existence; changing how scientists see their work. Charles created a new way of thinking, and proven that there is always an alternate reason why something is the way it is, and how it became that way, not to mention he constructed against religion that proves itself to be wrong.

    Read More

  • Darwin, Booker T. Washington and the Feminist Movement: How They Have All Influenced Modern Society

    1504 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Charles Darwin’s life he had helped make a significant advancement in the way mankind viewed the world. With his observations, he played a part in shifting the model of evolution into his peers’ minds. Darwin’s theory on natural selection impacted the areas of science and religion because it questioned and challenged the Bible; and anything that challenged the Bible in Darwin’s era was sure to create contention with the church. Members of the Church took offense to Darwin’s Origins of Species because it unswervingly contradicted the teachings of the book of Genesis in the Bible. (Zhao, 2009) Natural selection changed the way people thought. Where the Bible teaches that “all organisms have been in an unchanging state since the great flood, and that everything twas molded in God’s will.” (Zhao, 2009) Darwin’s geological journey to the Galapagos Islands is where he was first able to get the observations he needed to prove how various species change over t...

    Read More

  • The History Of The Scopes Monkey Trial

    1647 Words  | 4 Pages

    Charles Darwin, the Father of Evolution, was a British scientist who laid the foundations of the theory of evolution, transforming the thinking of the entire world about the living things around us (Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882)). After working on his theory for nearly 20 years, he published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859. As soon as the book was released, the controversy began with each sides gaining followers until the climax on July 10, 1925. The idea that animals could “evolve” and change into new species, including humans, was one that challenged not only how people thought about the natural world, but challenged the story of the creation from the Bible itself. Even though Darwin himself never said that humans “evolved” from apes, everyone took it as a logical extension of his new theory. It went against the idea of argument for design that had unified theology and science for decades (Moran 5). This new threat to Christianity and the social culture of the time was one that would transform state laws on their educational curriculum.

    Read More

  • Evolution and The Island of Doctor Moreau

    1421 Words  | 3 Pages

    Darwin did not come up with his theory out of nowhere. Like anyone else who has made discoveries, he was influenced by others. For quite a long time before Darwin, people didn't look beyond the Biblical creation story. Such things as fossils, primitive stone tools and visible layers of rock were said to have been placed on earth by God. There wasn't a great deal of work done on what we now call evolution, until the age of exploration began.

    Read More

  • Free Will and Choices

    1530 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ng and large period of time that is showed by others. This can be concluded that Darwin thinks and believe that changes and pre-existing factors are caused by our ancestors.

    Read More

  • Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection and Social Darwinism

    2626 Words  | 6 Pages

    Anyone with even a moderate background in science has heard of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. Since the publishing of his book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859, Darwin’s ideas have been debated by everyone from scientists to theologians to ordinary lay-people. Today, though there is still severe opposition, evolution is regarded as fact by most of the scientific community and Darwin’s book remains one of the most influential ever written.

    Read More

  • What Is Artificial Selection?

    716 Words  | 2 Pages

    Evolution is the heart of life. Without it, life could not be sustainable. When the environment changes and the species within the environment fails to adapt or change, then all living organisms would perish over time. Charles Darwin, a biologist and naturalist, is known worldwide for his contributions to science for the extensive research and experiments conducted to help support the theory of evolution and how it worked. One basic mechanism that can be used to understand evolution is natural selection. “Resources are limited in nature, organisms with heritable traits that favor survival and reproduction will tend to leave more offspring than their peers, causing the traits to increase in frequency over generations.” (Darwin, Evolution,

    Read More

  • Darwinism Essay

    1297 Words  | 3 Pages

    Darwinism, the theory of evolution, is a controversial theory that is still being contemplated today. Before the 19th century scientist were puzzled by the idea of where humans, plants, and animals originated. In the late 1700s the question was first tried by a group of scientist, but they were not successful. It was not until a young Charles Darwin found interest in the subject that the discovery was finally able to become a theory. His observations led to his theory of evolution by natural selection. Although, it was a new discovery that shocked so many, Darwin and his accomplices did not realize how significant their newfound theory was. ~~~~

    Read More

  • Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection

    679 Words  | 2 Pages

    Charles Darwin has had the greatest influence on the world by proving the evolution of living things. Charles Darwin had first noticed the similarities of plants and animals when he took a five-year cruise on the H.M.S. Beagle, which was available to him through a friend from school. During the cruise Charles Darwin started becoming interested with the similarities between the plants and animals that were similar on different islands with similar climates, so he decided to study them more closely.

    Read More

  • Summary Of 'What Darwin Never Knew'

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    The video, “What Darwin Never Knew”, is a stunning time line that details the theory of evolution formed by Charles Darwin, and the recent advancements made that answers some of the questions he simply could not. Darwin 's theory explained why today there are 9,000 kinds of birds, 350,000 kinds of beetles, 28,000 kinds of fish, and at least 2 million kinds of living species and counting. Darwin figured out that all species are connected, and he also realized that species evolved and adapted, but he did not know how.

    Read More

  • Charles Darwin: A Biography

    468 Words  | 1 Pages

    Charles Darwin began his scientific breakthroughs and upcoming theories when he began an expedition trip to the Galapagos Islands of South America. While studying there, he discovered that each island had its own type of plant and animal species. Although these plants and animals were similar in appearance, they had other characteristics that made them differ from one another and seem to not appear as similar. Darwin questioned why these plants and animals were on these islands and why they are different in ways.

    Read More

  • Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species

    2156 Words  | 5 Pages

    Charles Darwin in his book, On the Origin of Species, presents us with a theory of natural selection. This theory is his attempt at an explanation on how the world and its' species came to be the way that we know them now. Darwin writes on how through a process of millions of years, through the effects of man and the effects of nature, species have had an ongoing trial and error experiment. It is through these trials that the natural world has developed beneficial anomalies that at times seem too great to be the work of chance.

    Read More

  • The Voyage Of The Beagle Summary

    1901 Words  | 4 Pages

    A modern reader might be surprised to find that travel writings of the 18th century, books intended for the general public, featured specific scientific terms and precise descriptions of landmarks, species and resources. But how did it happen that “sentiment, imagination, and the graces have been banished” (Voltaire, Letter to Cideville) from 18th century literature? In her article “Science, planetary consciousness, interiors” author Mary Louise Pratt argues that the change in travel writing in the 18th century promoted a new type of planetary consciousness, thus triggering a shift in European colonial policies. In her subsequent article “Narrating the anti-conquest”, she argues that as travel writing evolved, so did colonial policies and she exemplifies the process by an examination of four travel writers of the era to show how travel writing changed. Pratt suggests that writing shifted from survival literature, focusing on coastal regions (an observing eye), through strictly descriptive accounts of interiors (a scrutinizing eye), to writing about the ways in which things could be improved (an improving eye). Forty years after Pratt’s last example of 18th century anti-conquest writing was published, Darwin’s Voyage of the Beagle came out of press. The ethos displayed by Darwinian his journal, however, diverged from the anti-conquest ethos as modified by Pratt. Therefore, a close reading of Darwin, one of the most prominent 19th century authors of travel writing, could be used to suggest in what direction 18th century travel writing evolved.

    Read More

  • Overview of the Importance of DNA

    1575 Words  | 4 Pages

    Discoveries in DNA, cell biology, evolution, and biotechnology have been among the major achievements in biology over the past 200 years, with accelerated discoveries and insight’s over the last 50 years. Consider the progress we have made in these areas of human knowledge. Present at least three of the discoveries you find to be the most important and describe their significance to society, health, and the culture of modern life. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a self-replicating molecule or material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent in chromosomes. It encodes the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and many viruses.

    Read More

  • Darwin Essay On Evolution

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    On Darwin’s trip around the world he found something very interesting on the Galapagos Islands. On the isolated islands he found fourteen species of finches with very similar characteristics but they had some differences in their beaks, diet, body size and habitat. Darwin thought the birds had a common ancestor. He thought that some time back some finches arrived on the islands and the finches with the beaks that suited the islands conditions survived this happened on all the islands. When they had offspring the next generation would inherit the same beak. This is a great example of natural selection which was a contributor to how humans evolved. From this Darwin established his theory of natural selection and how slowly over time creatures...

    Read More

More about PBS Special: The Great Works of Charles Darwin

Open Document