Happy Darwin Day!


Mr Darwin would be 207 years old today.

youngmrdarwin

How are you planning to celebrate? I’m going to spend all day teaching and grading and in meetings, and then late this afternoon I’ll hitch-hike to the nearest ocean, convince a cranky sea captain to let me aboard his brig-sloop, and then spend 5 years sailing around the world. So if you don’t hear anything from me after today, I’m just chasin’ the dream.

Comments

  1. Athywren - This Thing Is Just A Thing says

    and then late this afternoon I’ll hitch-hike to the nearest ocean, convince a cranky sea captain to let me aboard his brig-sloop, and then spend 5 years sailing around the world.

    Oh, to pursue this dream… unfortunately, I have no sea legs. I do have a mermaid’s tail, of course, but it’s such a hassle to get it on, and you have to do a deal with an evil octopus lady in order to take it off again – not worth the trouble.

    I think I’m going to celebrate by leaving for the day at lunch time, and then visiting the local maritime museum for an hour or so before heading off to see Dad’s Army at Vue… which is totally not what I was already planning to do today anyway before I realised what day it was, no sir!

  2. Johnny Vector says

    I’m going to be enjoying a day off not launching Astro-H after all. Stupid weather. High winds, which is dangerous for the technicians who have to work at height to prepare the rocket when it rolls out, they said. Hmph I say. I bet Darwin didn’t put his whole mission on hold just because the winds were high enough that people climbing about in the mast might get blown clean off and plummet to their deaths. Nobody really appreciates a good plummet these days.

    Anyway, anyone who wants to watch the launch of the best X-ray astronomy satellite EVAH (once they decide when to attempt another launch) can follow along here.

  3. F.O. says

    Spent the day reading Carrol’s Endless Forms Most Beautiful… When I discovered what evo-devo was, I realized it was what had always been missing in my life.

  4. mareap says

    I’m at a local elementary school with my science methods students. What better way to “celebrate” than ensuring some good science is done today with the most receptive audience you can have, elementary school kiddos!

  5. says

    I am quietly lying in bed while my imunity is fighting of some mild influenza virus. If it were not for that I would be at work testing and measuring and getting angry with managers all day.

  6. says

    Me:

    watching dinosaurs.

    Oh, and it’s mostly finches! Been finch festival outside for a few days. Saw my first orange variant (House Finch, Carpodacus mexicanus) yesterday!

  7. treefrogdundee says

    I’ll be standing outside of churches nagging members of the congregation “Do you have a moment to talk about the book of Charles?” Well, actually I won’t. But it is a giddy thought.

  8. Rich Woods says

    I took the day off work and had a lie-in, have played Scrabble, watched a film and read a book. All of it exactly what I’d intended to do before finding out it was Darwin’s birthday, funnily enough.

  9. karpad says

    Just think, if he was a Galapagos tortoise, he’d still be alive. if not hunted to extinction, anyway.

    The real question is, could a tortoise write a book that would revolutionize biology?

  10. says

    Jimb @ 16:

    Nice! I really like the last shot: “I see you seeing me.”

    Thanks! Oh, finches have a tremendous amount of spine for such little birds. They notice everything, and don’t much care, as long as you don’t get between them and sunseeds.

  11. Athywren - This Thing Is Just A Thing says

    @karpad, 14

    The real question is, could a tortoise write a book that would revolutionize biology?

    What? You’re thinking the lack of opposable thumbs would be an impediment? Pfft. Ghost writers, dude!

    Fun fact! I found out today that “turtle” is not just the term for a sea-going relative of the tortoise. All tortoises are turtles, but “turtle” is the common name for the order that tortoises fall into, so a turtle could be any one of those adorable (and slightly scary) shelled reptiles with retractable extremities.
    #ThingsNobodyAskedAboutAndEveryoneProbablyAlreadyKnew

  12. Athywren - This Thing Is Just A Thing says

    @Caine
    Ditto on liking those shots. Beautiful bird, well snapped!

  13. quotetheunquote says

    I, too, am celebrating by feeding the dinosaurs (including C. mexicanus, a “cousin” of the Galapagos Finches). Lots of chickadees and MODOs (doves) coming in as well.

    P.S. Caine – had a look at the “Friday Feathers” – v. nice shots! We have no siskins at all this year, I feel right gripped off, as the mad Brits say.

  14. says

    Athywren, thanks!

    “The”:

    I, too, am celebrating by feeding the dinosaurs (including C. mexicanus, a “cousin” of the Galapagos Finches). Lots of chickadees and MODOs (doves) coming in as well.

    Oooh, nice assortment. Chickadees have been showing in force here, too. They’re always around, but I don’t always see them at the feeders, fast little buggers. Oh, siskins! I haven’t seen them much for ages, and that little one surprised the hell out of me – I walked right up to him, and he didn’t care at all. I was amazed.