Music and Darwin

In a recent interview, Darwin enthusiast Dr. Michael Sinclair of the International Scientific Steering Committee of the Census of Marine Life shared his insights on the man, the scientist and his work. In this blog entry, Dr. Sinclair reflects on the connection between Darwin and music.

From his letters and books, it's clear that Darwin was influenced by the classical music of his period. His wife, Emma, was an accomplished pianist and it is said that her daily practice influenced his theories (Derry, 2009). From the Descent of Man:

"...it appears probable that the progenitors of man, either the males or females or both sexes, before acquiring the power of expressing their mutual love in articulate language, endeavored to charm each other with musical notes and rhythm."

By exploring these connections, we hope to give greater insight to the man, whose passion for science - and music - helped change our understanding of the world.

[Dr. Sinclair] In May, we hosted a tribute to Darwin by Symphony Nova Scotia at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. This fall, a chamber music concert is being planned to compliment the October lectures to be held at Dalhousie University. One might ask why we have included music as a key part of our celebrations. Darwin was tone deaf, but he loved music and has referenced classical music and composers in much of his writing, including The Origin of Species. In his letters, we learn that he missed listening to music during the several years of the Beagle expedition. In his autobiography Darwin states that the several weeks hiking in the mountains of Chile in the summer of 1834 were, as a continuous time period, the most memorable of his life. He refers to one experience in the mountains as comparable to listening to Handel’s Messiah: “I felt glad that I was alone: It was like hearing in full orchestra a chorus of the Messiah.” He uses Mozart’s precocious musical aptitude as an analogy to illustrate the difference between “instinct” and “habit” (Chapter 7, Origin). Music was a significant part of his life.

Also Darwin’s ideas, and associated controversies, have had a surprisingly long lasting influence on music. The book, Rough Guide to Evolution provides a great summary of the influence of the concept of evolution on contempory music, including a playlist with Bruce Springsteen’s piece on the Scopes trial as number one on the list (for contemporary music influenced by Darwin, see links to Springsteen and Smithsonian below).

Music is a regular part of out “all staff” meetings at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, with local talent of the staff featured at each meeting. The symphony Nova Scotia performed in our auditorium for our 40^th anniversary. The performance was a great success. Darwin would enjoy our meetings, at least this aspect, in 2002 in spite of his tone deafness. Music will enhance the spirit of celebration this year in Halifax. A descendent of Darwin is collaborating in an opera focussed on the indigenous people of Tierra del Fuego, and a symphony has been written in honour of Darwin; “Age of Wonders” by Michael Stimpson. So music and Darwin seem to be tightly coupled over the past two centuries. Our celebrations here in Halifax will reflect this linkage between the arts and science.

Charles Darwin would be pleased, as he wrote: "occasionally a little music & a little reading & then bed-time makes a charming close to the day" (Letter 542, 27 Oct 1839)

References/Links:

Article by University of Edinburgh scholar, J.F. Derry: "Bravo Emma! Music in the life and work of Charles Darwin" doi:10.1016/j.endeavour.2009.01.005

Bruce Springsteen's account of the Scopes trial: Part Man, Part Monkey (Acoustic)

Smithsonian's blog "Surprising Science" on Darwin as the muse for other songwriters: Darwin Rocks, includes a great live version of "Man on the Moon" by REM and Springsteen

Letters: Darwin Correspondence Project

Reflections on Darwin: Dr. Michael Sinclair, Census of Marine Life

What can the Census of Marine Life's synthesis activities learn from Darwin's work?

In a recent interview, Darwin enthusiast Dr. Michael Sinclair of the International Scientific Steering Committee of the Census of Marine Life shared his insights on the man, the scientist and his work.

Here are excerpts from the discussion on how census activities can lead to new scientific theories that have larger implications on our understanding of the world:

We do not generally tend to think that census activities generate breakthroughs in our conceptual framework on ecological and evolutionary processes. During the 2008 session on synthesis activities of CoML, in Auckland, (New Zealand), I gave a short talk on the nature of synthesis within ecology and the key role that descriptive work from census activities has played. The examples were the Beagle Expedition “census” by Charles Darwin, the Challenger Expedition under the leadership of John Murray, and the census of a few Arctic islands by Charles Elton. Each of these descriptive biodiversity and biogeographical studies, through synthesis during several years (or decades in the case of Darwin), led to rich new ideas on ecological and evolutionary processes [see endnote].

The Census of Marine Life, a decade long “expedition” by many vessels and scientists, is presently leading to exciting concepts on processes. In contrast to [to scientific exploration in the time of] Darwin, Murray and Elton, the collection process has accelerated, and the number of observations has increased by orders of magnitude. Thus synthesis involves different methodologies, yet time for thinking is still essential. Darwin’s twice daily walks on his “thinking path” are a good model for us to aspire to, as the many census observations are being made available (on Ocean Biogeographic Information System, for example).

The 2009 celebrations of Charles Darwin’s birthday, and of his great book, are very timely for the digestion and interpretation of the results of the census findings. In a final quote from his diary reflecting on the positive aspect of his “Beagle census” (several years away from the comforts of home, taking a global perspective), Darwin states:

… as in music the person who understands every note, will, if he also has true taste, more thoroughly enjoy the whole, so he who examines each part of a fine view, may also thoroughly comprehend the full and combined effect.

[Darwin] is encouraging us to take a multi-disciplinary perspective during our search for understanding, and noting that attention to the details is essential for a full understanding of nature.

Source: Interview notes, 3 April 2009

Endnote on Census activities referenced above:

Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle, (1831-36), Charles Darwin, zoologist/naturalist, led to Origins of Species

Challenger Expedition, (1873-76), John Murray, oceanographer, led to modern oceanography

Arctic Explorations, (1921-1930), Charles Elton, botanist/ecologist, led to Ecology

Census of Marine Life (2000-2010), marine science/interdisciplinary, will lead to the first complete global Census of Marine Life in 2010

Editor's note:

In upcoming blogs, Dr. Sinclair will reflect on Darwin's influence on music, and lessons we can learn from the ethical dilemmas posed to Darwin as a scientist.

Darwin Celebrations Around the World

This year marks Charles Darwin's 200th birthday and celebrations are planned all over the world. The website, Darwinday.org, boasts 730 events scheduled in 45 countries this year and describe the event as "an international celebration of science and humanity" to honor the man and his work.

Here is a glimpse of what's happening in some of the places Darwin visited during his famous voyage of discovery on the HMS Beagle.

Galapagos Islands
The famed islands from Darwin's studies aren't letting his birthday pass unnoticed. You can take a trip aboard one of the many cruise ships that are taking guests back in time to the days of Darwin. There will be presentations on the life, studies, and theories of Darwin. Guests will also be able to witness the same animals and islands that Darwin himself studied over two centuries ago.

Australia
In Australia you can celebrate Darwin's birthday by attending a dinner at the Melbourne Museum. Even the menu is a nod at Darwin's contributions:

"Graze your way through the evolutionary tree starting with primeval soup; sampling the origins of marine crustacean life; savouring the delicacies represented by the rise of tetrapods and the dawn of the first plants on the land; relish the devilish delights of the dinosaur period, and finishing with a devastatingly delicious meteorite impact surprise."

In addition to dinner there will be Darwin exhibits, IMAX film features, and the National Institute of Circus arts will perform their Whale Evolution show.

South Africa
In South Africa Darwin's birthday is being commemorated with the opening of an exhibition at the Origins Centre at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and the ‘Darwin 200’ program on Human Evolution will be held October 10-12, 2009 in Cape Town.

England
The Natural History Museum in London is celebrating with special talks, films and events. They even have a Darwin character you can meet, and offer a special menu so you can "eat like Darwin." This is just one of over 300 activities taking place in the UK throughout the next year. You can read more about their celebrations at Darwin200.org.

Gulf of Maine
Although the Beagle never traveled to the coast of Maine, there are events in the region celebrating Darwin's life and work. Visit the Gulf of Maine Area Census of Marine Life for information on lectures and more.

No matter where you are in the world this year, there are bound to be activities in honor of Charles Darwin.

On the Origin of this Blog

February 12th marks the birthday one of the world’s most famous and controversial scientists, Charles Darwin, whose theory of “natural selection” continues to leave its mark on science, politics and religion today. The year 2009 offers two reasons to celebrate the naturalist: two hundred years since Darwin's birth (12 February 2009) and one hundred and fifty years since the publication of his seminal book, On the Origin of Species (24 November 1859).

To honor the occasion, the University of Southern Maine and the Census of Marine Life - Gulf of Maine Area Program will host a variety of activities to promote the work of Darwin, including classroom visits; a lecture series, Life in the Gulf of Maine: Past, Present and Future; a webpage for resources and events; and this collaborative blog, Celebrating Darwin.

As part of the year-long celebration, leading scientists from around the region and the world will contribute essays to a weblog reflecting on Darwin’s contribution to their own work, to the scientific community and to the world. Among the contibutors will be:

Reflecting on the past, Dr. Michael Sinclair of the International Scientific Steering Committee for the Census of Marine Life and Darwin enthusiast, will share his insight on a man whose writings and letters show the depth and breadth of Darwin's abilities. Dr. Sinclair regards Darwin as the quintessential scientist and gentleman, whose collaborative spirit is an inspiration to scientists to this day.

Considering the present, Dr. Lewis Incze of the Gulf of Maine Area program of the Census, will discuss how Darwin's contribution to our knowledge of biodiversity is essential to our current understanding of ecosystem processes in the Gulf of Maine.

Looking toward the future, Dr. Boris Worm of Dalhousie U. and lead scientist for the Future of Marine Animal Populations project for the Census, is still inspired by Darwin's ability to draw on detailed observations to form "big picture" theories:

"What Darwin understood like no one before him was that all organisms - including ourselves - are deeply connected, both through their interactions in the "struggle for existence" and over time through the grand forces of evolution. What is most amazing to me, is how he was able to sketch out the Big Story of Life on Earth simply from detailed, open-minded observation. We need to encourage this passion for nature, and skill of observation again in students today."

Well said, Boris, we hope this blog will do just that.

[Note: The inspitation for this celebration came from Erik Pietrowicz, USM graduate student in Biology, who was recently awarded a small grant from the Society for the Study of Evolution. Congratulations, Erik!]