Charles Darwin Birthday 12 Feb.

What I love about science fiction is that there is rarely a debate or question about the Theory of Evolution. It is understood and accepted that is how things work and many stories are based on this theory.
I found a wealth of info on Darwin:

" Charles Darwin would be 200 on Feb. 12, 2009. Darwin's theory of evolution is one of the best substantiated scientific bodies of thought in human history, yet it has been a flashpoint for public debate from nearly the time it was published under duress in 1859 as "On the Origin of Species." Born in 1809, the "father of evolution" had been working out the theory's details ever since he returned home from the five-year HMS Beagle adventure in 1836. Here we offer news, analysis and images that tell the story of Charles Darwin and explain how the process of evolution works. We also delve into the public controversy that continues today, though the theory is fully accepted by scientists."

You can read a lot more about Darwin and evolution HERE.

When I went to public schools eons ago, (I wasn't taught by Darwin personally!) I was taught the Theory of Evolution. All religions were respected and it was assumed that religious training would be received in the home and at the appropriate religious institution. I attended school with people who had a variety of different religious beliefs or no religious belief at all and we respected each other and our teachers and the academic material and we managed to coexist in harmony and had a lot of fun too. In my opinion, that sense of harmony has been lost and it seems that people are becoming more polarized and less accepting of the differences each of us has. I hope that we can become more unified and accepting once again in order to learn and grow as humans. How this will happen is through education, education, education. I hope students and parents will take education very seriously and strive to learn all that is possible.