The Darwin sculpture in the Royal Botanic GardensA spectacular interpretive sculpture has been installed in the Royal Botanic Gardens to celebrate Darwin’s 200th birthday. The installation, reflecting Darwin’s significant contribution to our current understanding of biodiversity and the origin of life, comprises six mirrored letters, each two metres high, spelling out Darwin’s name. These huge letters nestle amongst the foliage and trunks of the Myrtales Bed which was designed about 25 years ago. The bed celebrates the Botanic Gardens Trust’s scientific research on the evolution of plants. The mirrored surfaces symbolise Darwin’s obsession with nature and his passion for detailed observation. They also reflect the surrounding garden bed, the city, the harbour and passing visitors; embodying Darwin’s theory that all life-forms are part of one ‘tree of life’. Darwin’s ideas and scientific work are more important than the man himself, so the mirrored surfaces offer insights into his musings as well as those of a few other great minds, including some of our own scientists. Quotes appear to ‘just hang there’ - like moments of inspiration or clarity of thought - they attempt to offer explanations and provoke responses. Most of the featured quotes focus on plants and botanic gardens. Many people are unaware that Darwin visited these Gardens and continued to collect and study plants throughout his life. His life’s work continues to inform our scientific research and inspire our education programs. In addition, key words (evolution, extinction, variation, inheritance, adaptability, selection and divergence) hint at Darwin’s ‘grand unifying theory’. On the reverse side of the ‘D’ is a giant picture of Darwin and a small amount of text encouraging visitors to go to the Trust’s website for more inspiration and to come behind-the-scenes in Science Week. Below is a copy of the graphic panels followed by detailed attributions. Humans have always questioned their origins and mused on what this mystery is called Life. Many people, before and after Charles Darwin, have postulated a theory of gradual change from one life form to another but we credit Darwin with providing an explanation - with substantial evidence - for why evolution occurs. Darwin left a rich paper trail which provides us all with myriad ‘quotable quotes’. These in turn have inspired others to make many more. On the letter ‘D’EVOLUTION
'It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.' Etched into the floor and attributed to Charles Darwin. Note to self: check quote attribution before etching big quote onto expensive stone floor. [Thanks to Michael Barton's point to Darwin myths]
EXTINCTIONOn the letter ‘A’VARIATION
On the letter ‘R’INHERITANCE
On the letter ‘W’ADAPTATION
Interestingly this seems to be a condensation of a much longer correspondence by Darwin. The voyage of the Beagle has been by far the most important event in my life, and has determined my whole career; yet it depended on so small a circumstance as my uncle offering to drive me thirty miles to Shrewsbury, which few uncles would have done, and on such a trifle as the shape of my nose. I have always felt that I owe to the voyage the first real training or education of my mind; I was led to attend closely to several branches of natural history, and thus my powers of observation were improved, though they were always fairly developed. The investigation of the geology of all the places visited was far more important, as reasoning here comes into play. On first examining a new district nothing can appear more hopeless than the chaos of rocks; but by recording the stratification and nature of the rocks and fossils at many points, always reasoning and predicting what will be found elsewhere, light soon begins to dawn on the district, and the structure of the whole becomes more or less intelligible. I had brought with me the first volume of Lyell's 'Principles of Geology,' which I studied attentively; and the book was of the highest service to me in many ways. The very first place which I examined, namely St. Jago in the Cape de Verde islands, showed me clearly the wonderful superiority of Lyell's manner of treating geology, compared with that of any other author, whose works I had with me or ever afterwards read. Another of my occupations was collecting animals of all classes, briefly describing and roughly dissecting many of the marine ones; but from not being able to draw, and from not having sufficient anatomical knowledge, a great pile of MS. which I made during the voyage has proved almost useless. I thus lost much time, with the exception of that spent in acquiring some knowledge of the Crustaceans, as this was of service when in after years I undertook a monograph of the Cirripedia. During some part of the day I wrote my Journal, and took much pains in describing carefully and vividly all that I had seen; and this was good practice. My Journal served also, in part, as letters to my home, and portions were sent to England whenever there was an opportunity. The above various special studies were, however, of no importance compared with the habit of energetic industry and of concentrated attention to whatever I was engaged in, which I then acquired. Everything about which I thought or read was made to bear directly on what I had seen or was likely to see; and this habit of mind was continued during the five years of the voyage. I feel sure that it was this training which has enabled me to do whatever I have done in science. Charles Darwin Darwin, Francis ed. 1887. The life and letters of Charles Darwin, including an autobiographical chapter. vol. 1. London: John Murray. From Darwin-online.
On the letter ‘I’SELECTION
On the letter ‘N’DIVERGENCEIf Darwin was alive today I’d enjoy discussing the evolution of plant communities. I’d tell him how our modern molecular and ecological research tools enable us to better understand why groups of species live together. Maurizio Rossetto Conservation Geneticist / Ecologist Botanic Gardens Trust personal comment. Darwin was a true giant in the history of science, an explorer and a lover of nature who translated his passion into a scientific explanation for the diversity of life that is the foundation of all biology. Michael J. Novacek, Provost, Senior Vice President, And Curator in the Division of Palaeontology, American Museum of Natural History taken for the Auckland Museum’s exhibition brochure ‘Darwin: discover the man and the revolutionary theory that changed the world’. The branches of the Tree of Life represent ancestral lineages of now-extinct species; the forks represent where two species diverge and the branch tips represent species alive today. Barbara Briggs Honorary Research Associate Botanic Gardens Trust personal comment. |
Introduction
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Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney, Australia
