Charles Darwin is one scientist who enjoys world-wide recognition. In spite of the recent controversies about his theory, he stands relevant all the time. To commemorate his 200th birth anniversary year and the 150th anniversary of his book Origin of Species, the life and works of Darwin are being exhibited at the Forum Mall till October 25, as part of British Council’s international programme, Darwin Now.
The exhibition explores many scientific aspects in Darwin’s life, like how he came up with his ground-breaking theory, how his ideas are still relevant in the 21st Century and so on. It sheds light on the contemporary reactions to Darwin’s theories of evolution and how advancements in fields, as diverse as geology and economics, influenced his thinking.
There were many who came to have a look at the exhibition. Students took part in the expo with a lot of interest.
Daksha, studying in Kumaran’s School, and who was watching the expo with great curiosity says, “We study his evolution theory in school itself. But I didn’t know that there was so much effort behind his work. He took a five-year extensive voyage to gain the knowledge of geographical distribution of wildlife and fossils. Only after coming here, I could recognise the challenges he took before presenting his theory.”
Leesabai, a 12th standard student from Bethany School, says, “I knew that Darwin wrote a book called Origin of Species and presented the evolution theory. I just came to know about his versatile interest. He speaks about how the music evolved, he asks why humans are different from other creatures and he even discusses how a species can transform into another. By studying Darwin’s principles, we get a complete knowledge about the nature.”
Charu Sapra, Manager, British Library was elated to see the response from students. “This whole expo is to make the public aware of the contribution this genius-thinker has made. In my opinion, malls are the best place where people from all walks gather. Thankfully, we are getting a good response and many people are approaching us to enrich their knowledge about Darwin and his works. At the same time, the expo has its own limitations too. Language is one such barrier and a large section of the common public has remained out from this expo.”
The exhibition explores Darwin’s pain-staking efforts in collecting exact evidences in support of his theories and also discover the value of his life.