---

´How fleeting are the wishes and efforts of man! how short his time! and consequently how poor will his products be, compared with those accumulated by nature during whole geological periods.´

Still considered one of the most important and groundbreaking works of science ever written, Darwin´s eminently readable exploration of the evolutionary process challenged most of the strong beliefs of the Western world. Forced to question the idea of the Creator, mid-nineteenth century readers were faced with Darwin´s theories on the laws of natural selection and the randomness of evolution, causing massive controversy at the time. However, Darwin´s theories remain instrumental in providing the backbone to modern biology today.

---

Charles R. Darwin, geb. 1809 in Shrewsbury, England geboren, studierte u.a. Medizin und Theologie; sein sein eigentliches Interesse aber galt der Geologie und Biologie. Im Jahre 1831 ging er von Plymouth aus auf eine Weltreise, die die Weichen für sein ganzes weiteres Leben und Schaffen stellte. Charles Darwin starb 1882.

---