The origin of humans and all species on planet Earth has long been an enigma to the man. However, 150 years ago, a young naturalist, traveled the world for 5 years, on a trip that changed the history of mankind to submit a response to both revolutionary and controversial. Titled "Darwin: Origin and legacy of a revolutionary idea" held the Sixth Science Café at the Municipal Library of Design and attended by Dr. Rodrigo Medel, President of the Chilean Society of Evolution and Dr. Marco Mendez, a researcher at the Laboratory of Genetics and Evolution of the Faculty Science at the University of Chile.
Organized by the Biotechnology Center CBUdeC, the program scans CONICYT Bío Bío Region and the Directorate of Extension, University of Concepción, Café focused mainly on the famous text of 150 years ago "The Origin of Species" book in which Charles Darwin released his findings and conclusions after 5 years of scientific observations aboard the Beagle. He opened the conversation
Dr. Marco Mendez noting that the idea of \u200b\u200bevolution is one of the most important intellectual revolutions in human history because it generated a dramatic change in how humans perceive the world and even more man's place on the planet.
"Darwin postulated a coherent theory of evolution based on solid evidence, based on deep reflections in nearly 20 years of study. This is very important because at that time many scientists believed that each body was the work of the creator (God) said Méndez.
Dr. Mendez explained how, on board the Beagle, Darwin initially participated in research as a naturalist, collecting samples and then sending them to England. It is here where he met another naturalist (Richard Owens) who helped in the formulation of some of its tenets. While intellectuals before Darwin accepted the idea of \u200b\u200bevolutionary relationships between organisms and could not satisfactorily explain these changes occurred, or its mechanisms (Lamarck is an example of this).
After his presentation, Dr. Mendez led to the intervention of Dr. Rodrigo Medel, President of the Chilean Society of Evolution who spoke about the use of scientific (or scientific method) in the practice of biology and science in general and in the case of Darwin.
"We biologists, ecologists and evolutionary biologists, we employ the scientific method to make our research as it allows us to distinguish what is science from what is not. (...) Science has a set of principles and try to explain the natural world and their explanations are tested should always be rejected by other scientists. Only then will we actually do science. " said Medel.
Also, Dr. Medel referred to the stereotype that often has the population of scientists. "We work with induction, generating models. Then the stereotypical mad scientist, the scientist Einsteinian, bone white hair all Chascona, far from these images, we are completely normal people " in relation to the way in which today looks at those who make and / or science did as Darwin and Einstein.
was an hour and a half of conversation where more than 80 enthusiasts spoke of natural selection, evolution and science in general, that at about 21:30 am ended to applause.
