I started reading Darwin’s On the Origin of Species at the start of the winter holiday. This follows my recent interest in the essential writings from our history. Once, I used to look at these works with disregard because the essential components of the person and their work could be harvested from more efficient sources. Many times have I encountered Darwin’s theory of natural selection through books and conversations. I have even ‘programmed’ the darned algorithm many times¹! But, the elegance of this theory never dawned on me until after dipping into the first couple chapter’s of The Origin. My how naive one can be.

I used to proclaim, and had proclaimed at me, how Alfred Russel Wallace preceded the great Darwin. I drew this fact from my knowledge like I was eagerly drawing a concealed ace from under my sleeve; winning the debate by avoiding the game. I want to withdraw all my misinformed claims to all those involved. Darwin, within the first few pages of The Origin, acknowledged Wallace’s work and tells how the two collaborated on extending it. Yes, Wallace did publish a theory of natural evolution before Darwin, but both collaborated about their related ideas, not sparred. But the almost chivalrous manner in which Darwin discusses the range of research in evolution theory in the 1850s leaves nothing to doubt. Darwin had such a grasp on presentation of the simple facts and the hypotheseses confirmed by them, that one cannot even begin to dethrone the man’s achievements. While I travel through Darwin’s writing, I find myself transported to the mind of a Victorian era naturalist, trying to solve the mystery of species, and after reading Darwin’s work, exclaiming at how beautiful it all is!

I mentioned my recent change of mind to read essential writings from our history. I am indebted to Mortimer Adler’s book How to Read a Book for restructing my perspective and opening my mind to more active reading styles. Please read this book if you have any of the following symptoms: concern you aren’t reading enough books, inability to retain information from the books you read, or panic from the number of books you must read before you die.

I didn’t manage to do a journal entry every day this December. The pace and depth should be increasing again soon.

(1) By ‘programmed’, I am loosely refering to concepts in evolutionary computing. We are far from achieving Darwin’s vision in a computer simulation.