An Modern Theory by Emily

An Modern Theory by Emily - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

As a high school student my favorite class has always been biology. Understanding things about people and animals have always interested me, learning how they are created, how they function in life. In college I hope to pursue a degree in Biology, as a result of this I believe that if I could have dinner with any historical figure it would be Charles Darwin. A leading biologist in his time and even currently, he devoted his entire life to understanding the evolution and understanding of species. Darwin published the idea of biological evolution and natural selection that broke the boundaries on what was studied and understood at the time. Even today his works are still taught to schools around the world. Charles Darwin would be my choice simply because his studies were so revolutionary, reinventing how the world understood the idea of evolution and organisms. It makes sense to me that having a dinner with Darwin would open up my understandings to what he believed was the most important idea conceived in his life, it could even show me a new way of thinking of things.
I would start conversation with him about how he began his studies and why. Coming to an understanding about how these theories came to play could help my understanding in biology. My favorite part about Darwin was the idea that although other naturalist at the time believed in the origin of species due to god, Darwin contrasted these beliefs even though he knew that his ideas would not be taken well. Darwin was a true adventurer at the time, spending years on board a vessel collecting and understanding his finds. This is also remarkable to me, I would love to ask him why he chose to spend so much of his life doing this and not prefer to become a teacher or start a family sooner.
Overall I believe Charles Darwin would be the ideal historical figure to take to dinner. His adventures would be outstanding dinner conversation and his brilliant ideas that have lasted lifetimes have to have some other origins. To say he is a biologist is the least, among other things Darwin was known to be a revolutionary figure in the world of science, affecting religion as well.