2009 marks the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin and in honor of this, the Paleozoological Museum of China is hosting the Beijing leg of the Darwin Now project, brought to you by the British Council as part of the global celebration of one of the greatest scientists in history.
The project showcases a series of integrated activities consisting of evolution-themed workshops, scientist lectures, widescreen films, theatre and science-related demonstrations as well as exhibitions of his life and theory. Darwin Now explores the impact and legacy of Charles Darwin's work in the 21st century and the ideas that lie at the heart of evolutionary theory in an unprejudiced and open way.
The student workshops are a highlight of the event, where those aged 6-10 will be educated on the theory of evolution and formation of fossils through toast, ham and eggs.
"We're going to cut up the toast and put various layers of things in between like ham and quail eggs to show them how fossils are formed and creatures evolved. That will be a fun way to capture their attention and then they can eat their subjects for lunch."
The event kicked off with a screening of 'The Tree of Life', a film presented as a gift for commemorating the birth of Darwin and the publication of his book. In the film, renowned naturalist David Attenborough uses a combination of simple words and his personal understanding of nature to explain the core theory of the Origin of Species and give us an insightful look into Darwin himself.
Born in the UK in 1809, Charles Darwin was 50 when he published his ground breaking book on the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, making this 2009 event also the 150th anniversary of perhaps the most famous scientific work ever written.
In attendance was one Glenn Storrs, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at Cincinnati Museum Center, on whom Darwin and his works has left a lasting impression.
"It's an exciting time to be in Beijing, it's an exciting time to be looking at fossils and it's an exciting time to be celebrating one of the world's most famous scientists."
Darwin Now in Beijing is the final leg of the project, which has previously toured Shanghai, Xi'an, Chongqing and Dongguan. It will run until the 29th of this month and a detailed schedule of events can be found at the British Council website.
