Charles Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin was born in February 12, 1809. In Shwresbury, Shropshire in England. He was the fifth of a family of six children. He was son a wealthy doctor named Robert Darwin and Susanah Wedgwood. His family was estrictly christian and was baptised under the Anglican Church even though he attended the Unitarian chapel with  his mother and brothers. His father was secretly a freethinker. In July 1817 his mother died. He joined the Anglican Shwresbury School where his brother Erasmus attended. Darwin spent the summer of 1825 as an apprentice doctor, helping his father treat the poor of Shropshire, before going to the University of Edinburgh Medical School with his brother Erasmus in October 1825. He joined some some societies including the Plinian group. In March 1827 presented at the Plinian his own discovery that black spores found in oyster shells were the eggs of a skate leech. His attitude towards study annoyed his father who sent him to Christ's College, Cambridge, for a Bachelor of Arts degree. In his way back from an expedition to Wales with fellow classmates Darwin found a letter from Henslow proposing Darwin to be passenger of the HMS Beagle which was to leave in four weeks on an expedition to chart the coastline of South America with Robert FitzRoy captain. His father objected to the planned two-year voyage, but his brother-in-law, Josiah Wedgwood, convinced him to let Darwin go on the HMS Beagle. The lenghtfull of the trip Darwin took notes about geological features of the land, Brazil and Tierra del Fuego in Argentina showed him some fossils and how the features of the land changed. While, in Chile he suffered and earthquake he theorised that as the land rose,oceanic islands sank, and coral reefs round them grew to form atolls. But it was when he got to the Galapagos Islands that he started realizing the differences of birds from island to island. Then was he started of the theory of natural selection which took about 20 years of his life. The theory of natural selection or survivor of the Fittest of some call it consists that the stronger species lives and the weak die. If an animal cannot live under certain conditions it will die and that is why Darwin saw different birds on different islands, that was because of the different environment in every land. An example of the theory of natural selection may be to birds with different peeks if food has to be reached deep under the ground a bird with a long peek will survive and the bird with the small but thick peek would eventually die. Darwin spended about 25 years of his life getting enough evidence. At first, he kept his investigation in secret because his theory replaces God and his family and society were christian. He only talked about it with his daughter which died before he published the theory. He was separated  with his wife for a long time but then talked and even though his wife did not support him, she respected his beliefs. The christian society was the main cultural issue that made Darwin prolouge publishing his theory. He becamed obsessed with finding evidence to make a christian society accept his theory. He also became very sick because he overworked and did not get well sleep. What impulsated him most to publish his theory was the fear that another guy around the world had the same ideas and could steal him all the credit. He received many critics because of his work and was finally creddited for the Theory of Natural Selection, and still today many people reject his theory for religious views, some think he found enough evidence to prove his theory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin
Mr. Dougherty lesson

 

What is Psychology?

Psychology is the scientific study of human and animal mental functions and behavior. A person who professionally practices psychology is called a psychologist. The word psychology means "the study of the soul" in ancient Greek. The German physician Wilhelm Wundt is known because he founded the first psychological laboratory. He is credited to set up psychology as a new science. I think we should study psychology because it helps us understand why people react as they do. And it will help understand ourselves and others around us.  http://www.psychology.org/