Darwin: busy bee, not scaredy cat.

Charles Darwin first outlined his theory of natural selection in 1842, but didn't announce it until 1858. Until recently it was believed that Darwin was scared of being marmalised by his peers in Victorian Britain so heretical was his thinking. Not so, says Dr John van Wyhe, the genius behind the Darwin Online project at Cambridge. Dr van Wyhe says that Darwin was too busy (BBC report) with other things to get round to completing and publishing his theory. Guardian story about it is here.

Credits: The Darwin puppet was courtesy of science blogger Miss Prism, and was won in her bring and blog auction in aid of Beagle Project funds by an humble woodcutter.