Investor's Business Daily, September 21st, 2007
When he undertook a task, Charles Darwin had a rule: Keep it simple.
Following that rule was the best way to share his theories, he figured. So when he wrote his most important book, he did so in an accessible style for readers who weren't scientists or mathematicians.
Unlike, say, Isaac Newton, whose work was "so abstruse that it took many years of patient analysis before the scientific community fully understood its implications," Darwin's work was an immediate popular success, wrote Jonathan Miller and Borin Van Loon in "Darwin for Beginners." "This alone distinguished it from other great theories in the history of science."
Scientist T.H. Huxley agreed. "How stupid not to have thought of it before," he said.
Darwin's book, "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life," became one of the most important books ever published. It changed the way we think of the development of all living things, sparking a debate that continues to this day.
Darwin (1809-82) seemed unlikely to achieve greatness. He grew up the son of a prominent doctor in Shrewsbury, England. His father took him out of the local school because of his poor grades. Eventually, Darwin attended the University of Edinburgh to study medicine. That didn't work out, either. He couldn't stand the sight of blood.
He later attended and graduated from Christ's College in Cambridge, where he studied to become a minister. Once again his academic career was undistinguished. He spent his free time hiking, collecting beetles and attending lectures on botany taught by the Rev. John Henslow.
Darwin read a lot. Two books particularly inspired him: Alexander von Humboldt's scientific travelogue and John Herschel's "Introduction to the Study of Natural Philosophy," which introduced him to rigorous scientific thought.
When Henslow suggested that he serve as the naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle, which was then embarking on a world cruise, Darwin jumped at the opportunity -- despite the position's numerous drawbacks. He'd be away for a long time; the journey took almost five years. Plus it wasn't even a salaried job; the naturalist had to pay his own way.
Darwin didn't care. After years of studying medicine and theology, he'd finally found what he wanted to do. After an interview with the ship's captain, he immediately accepted the post. But still another hurdle remained. He had to persuade his dad to finance the journey.
The senior Darwin thought it an idle pursuit that would delay Charles' entering the clergy, so at first he refused. His son found an alternative financier: uncle Josiah Wedgwood, who agreed that it was a splendid idea.
The ship set sail on Dec. 27, 1831. From the beginning, Darwin approached his job with enthusiasm and energy. He left the ship as often as he could, logging as much as 400 miles on foot. He picked up specimens along the way, then rejoined the ship farther down the coast or on the other side of an island.
"He climbed mountains, paddled up and down rivers, and hiked through jungles," wrote Renee Skelton, author of "Charles Darwin and the Theory of Natural Selection."
Darwin was scrupulous about keeping accurate notes. "He was seeing many strange plants and animals for the first time," Skelton wrote. "As he traveled, Charles observed the weather, the plants, the animals and the customs of the people. . . . As he traveled he constantly scribbled his thoughts in the notebook he carried with him."
He refused to make snap judgments. In Patagonia he saw a guanaco, a kind of llama. Not far away, he found a fossil of a similar but extinct animal called a macrauchenia. Darwin wondered, "Why were such similar creatures living in the same place, but at different times?" Skelton wrote. He jotted down his impressions so he could puzzle out the answer later.
Darwin also trusted his instincts. He knew little about fossils, but thought many he found would interest scientists back in England. The Beagle's captain didn't understand why Darwin kept bringing this "useless junk" aboard, but the naturalist persisted. In the end he was proved correct, because many of these specimens were unknown to science.
On his return to England, Darwin's theory slowly began to evolve. But he was playing with dangerous stuff. Any theory that differed from creationism was considered blasphemy by several major religions.
So he worked largely alone, because to verbalize his theories made him susceptible to criticism from religious leaders as well as scientists who believed in creationism.
He tested his theories whenever possible. He contended that plants and animals floated to distant lands and islands. He experimented with seeds, soaking them in seawater for months and then planting them. Invariably, nearly all germinated.
Ultimately, Thomas Malthus' theory on population -- it grows geometrically, while resources grow arithmetically -- gave him the final piece in his puzzle. At its simplest, the theory of evolution is that the world changes. With finite resources -- space to live and food to eat -- only the animals that adapt best survive.
In 1859, more than 20 years after he returned from his voyage aboard the Beagle, he published "Origin."
This story originally ran March 4, 2004, on Leaders & Success.
