Sunday was Charles Darwin’s 208th birthday, also known as Darwin Day. Here are some facts about the evolution debate, about evolution, and about Darwin himself:
1. He Waited 20 Years To Publish His Theory
Charles Darwin waited around 20 years to publish his book, The Origin of Species. Another scientist, Alfred Russel Wallace, had a similar theory and published it. However, he is given more credit for the theory because his book went into more detail about it.
2. A Minority Of Americans Believe Evolution Occurred Through Natural Selection
A majority of adults, 62 percent, believe that human beings evolved over time. However, only one-third (33 percent) believe that the evolution occurred solely through natural selection. Around 25 percent believe that evolution was guided by some kind of supreme being.
3. Darwin Was A Divinity Student
Not only was Darwin a medical school dropout, but he also was in divinity school for a short time. He studied Theology at Cambridge University. He eventually became an agnostic after witnessing slavery and the deaths of his children.
4. People Don’t Believe All Scientists Agree On Evolution
Around 98 percent of scientists believe that humans evolved over time. However, only 66 percent of Americans believe this is true. Many religious people just don’t believe it, so they think that scientists don’t either.
5. There Is A Mountain Named After Him
On Darwin’s 25th birthday, February 12, 1834, Captain FitzRoy named a mountain after him, Tierra del Fuego Mount Darwin. There are other mountains named after him in California, Tasmania, and Antarctica.
6. Religion Vs. Science
About 59 percent of Americans say that religion and science are in conflict. People who go to church more often are more likely to not see this conflict. Most people, 68 percent, say that their own personal beliefs don’t conflict with the Theory of Evolution.
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Featured image via Twitter.