Amongst the many theories available today on how our species came into existence, Charles Darwin and his science on evolution remain one of the most popular ones that is widely believed by many, especially in the scientific community. His scientific theory revolves around the branching pattern of evolution in a process which he details as natural selection. Although his journey to convincing an entire scientific community of his radical theory of evolution was not easy, he finally managed it with a list of strong evidence in his famous scientific book “On the Origin of Species”.
The early life of Darwin was one of that promised of great hope. Coming from a long line of scientists in his family, Darwin was naturally endowed with wealth and had easy access to the things he wanted to accomplish. His father hoped, however, that Darwin would eventually become a doctor but Darwin himself had a fear of blood. Darwin decided then that he would embark on a journey to study the history of nature and from there find his way.
After completing college, Darwin took a voyage on board the HMS Beagle, the start of a journey that would eventually transform his life. While on his five-year voyage, the man collected various different specimens such as plants and animal fossils and spent a lot of time developing his findings. It was only after returning to England before Darwin started developing his theory of evolution which opposed the traditional views of naturalists.
Darwin himself was considered one of earth’s most influential figures. By the time he passed, Darwin had convinced a majority of the scientific population that evolution was in fact true. Although Darwin was brought up in a family of both freethinkers and religious people, his theory was largely in contrast with Christianity. This could be seen as ironical as Darwin himself was quite a staunch Christian and would quote the Bible before his voyage abroad the HMS Beagle. However, upon his return, Darwin had a rather vast change in mindset and was critical of the history of the bible. Based on his theory of evolution which he developed, he couldn’t see the work of an omnipotent God in the making of any of it and thus thought of religion as a survival strategy for humans.
Finally, in 1882, Charles Darwin died at his family home in London, after a lifetime of research on evolution and its process. As his legacy lives on in his name, there has been countless of opportunities and challenges that Darwin’s theory of evolution created. For one, the constant battle between religions and scientists on creation versus evolution has been ongoing and seems nowhere in sight of ending. However, because of the theory of evolution, it has pathed the way for development in medicine and food. This has driven important advances in understanding diseases and mutations such as cancer, allowing medical breakthrough and prolonging the lifespan of humans.