With the 200th anniversary of his birth approaching, Charles Darwin is much in the news these days.
Fewer Than Half of Americans Agree With Darwin
Despite 150 years of accumulated scientific evidence supporting his arguments in On the Origin of Species, in December 2008 a Harris Poll found that only 47% of Americans believe in Darwin's theory of evolution. Thirty-two percent do not believe it and 22% say they aren't sure if Darwin is right.
Most Americans Think God Played a Part in Creating Humans
In a March 2007 poll Newsweek asked Americans if they thought "God created humans pretty much in the present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so." Forty-eight percent agreed. Another 30% thought that, "Humans developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process." Only 13% subscribed to Darwin's notion that, "Humans developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part in this process."
Polling the Nations - Best Source for Opinions on Evolution and More
For more fascinating information about views on creationism, evolution and intelligent design, in the United States and other countries, take a look at Polling the Nations.
Follow these links for more information about Charles Darwin. These and other resources can be found at the University of Idaho Library.
Nature News-Darwin 200 The second of Nature's three Darwin 200 special issues celebrates 'everybody's Darwin' — the great man's legacy in the context of the human condition.
Ebrary- Elecbook Classics On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection
The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online
Contains Darwin’s complete publications and many of his handwritten manuscripts. There are over 50,000 searchable text pages and 40,000 images. There is also a large Darwin bibliography and manuscript catalogue. More than 150 ancillary texts are included, ranging from reference works to reviews, obituaries, descriptions of the Beagle specimens and related works for understanding Darwin’s context.