read The Origin of Species

Just placed an order through Amazon Prime (which rocks by the way; love free 2 day shipping). I bought the hardcover Illustrated edition to give me a more authentic reproduction of Darwin’s original journals.

Well, that leaves me with three books I’m reading simultaneously. I should probably slow down, but I’m really enthusiastic about this one.

Life is so amazing. I want to learn a lot more about how it works. I figure this book is as good a starting place as any.

The language is almost violently dense at times, as Darwin tries to fill in all of the evidence and argument as thoroughly as possible in so slim a volume. The action of making the argument in absence of such key knowledge milestones as continental drift and genetics is a valuable insight into the nature of scientific thought. I also was interested to read of Darwin’s various experiments with pigeons and ducks, especially the one where he suspended ducks’ feet in aquariums overnight to discover whether small organisms were being transported on their scales (they were)!

if I take anything from this godawful evolution course I’m taking, it ought to be from the man who started it all.

I’ve been working on this off and on for the last month. Right now I’m exactly half way through it and I just need to put the other books I’m reading aside and concentrate on finishing it.

I was reading this while watching “The future is wild”, a speculative ecology programme, marvelling at how badly animated the “grykens” were (Wolverine-like crevice dwellers) when Tim Science (on the same sofa at the time) asked me if I wanted another episode.

No! I said. Enough of evolution!

And he looked back at me and said ”...she said, while reading The Origin of Species!”

And I harrumphed (a useful skill) and carried on reading, marvelling at Darwin’s description of inheritance of characteristics and how capably he grappled with the possible processes that were taking place despite lacking key concepts like chromasomes, DNA and genetic inheritance, admiring his ability to pursue a theory through a smothering crowd of blind alleys, cavels, queries and ignorance of the facts and finally glimpse the truth of what was actually occuring, albeit in broad strokes, and dimly.

I’m almost finished with the book. I’m in the glossary at the end. I’m so glad I read the book.

I’ve been reading this on my Palm Pilot and the large file got harder and harder to manage. I have an older 1999 Palm Pilot. So I cut the file down and reloaded my Palm Pilot with just the portion I have left. Now it’s manageable and I can continue reading. Parts of it have been tedious, but all in all I am very glad I have undertaken this project.

I got out in the garden this morning and pondered the struggle for existence between the weeds and the strawberries. The weeds will win without my help because they are better adapted for reproduction and this particular climate. I feel resolved to get out in the garden first thing and vote for the strawberries by removing the weeds. It’s fun to contemplate the course of evoloution while doing my daily tasks.

I’m now 60% done with Origin of the Species. I get lost in the details sometimes, but I’m picking up the basic concepts. I’m impressed with the breadth of observation Darwin did.