tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321174792008-03-21T00:45:31.335ZPeter McBlogger242125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-69702488147052919972007-08-02T23:44:00.000Z2007-08-06T11:33:29.179Z

has moved here. Please update your blogrolls, bookmarks and favourites, tell your friends, colleagues and anyone who wants to see a replica HMS Beagle sailing the seas in 2009. This will remain as an archive, so if you have links here, they'll still work. And as I said in an earlier post, if you have blogged about us and are not our blogroll at our new home, leave a comment and it will be put

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-77129794527803422702007-08-02T11:57:00.000Z2007-08-02T14:05:48.009Z

The puppet (below) was the idea (and dare I say creation?) of biologist blogger Miss Prism, who ran a blog and buy sale in aid for Beagle Project build funds. This caught the attention of PZ at Pharyngula, and the rush of bids resulted in Charles being relocated to the home of an Humblewoodcutter in Canada. Humble is an evolved homeschooler, and she recently got in touch to say that Charles

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-51175767430204636872007-08-01T15:22:00.000Z2007-08-01T16:44:18.089Z

The Journal of Victorian Studies is doing a 2009 special on 'Darwin and the evolution of Victorian studies', editor Jon Smith invites essays on"all aspects of Darwin and Darwin studies in the Victorian period from scholars working in a range of areas, including history and history of science, literary and cultural criticism, art history, and history of the book."andinvestigations of Darwin's

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-92060652545104920572007-08-01T11:19:00.000Z2007-08-01T11:25:07.788Z

and been miffed at the lack of your inclusion on a blogroll? Well, we'll shortly be migrating to a new home and there's blogroll up there. Do pop over and see if you are included, if not leave a comments or contact me though the Peter Mc profile email thang, and I'll unomit your omission.

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-33977905390088007842007-08-01T01:26:00.000Z2007-08-01T00:26:49.073Z

Though it pains me to supersede Peter Mc's previous post highlighting our noted creationist ox-goring propensity and writing prowess, I just can't wait to show you the Guardian's shiny new science website. If its early days are any indication, it will be one for science enthusiasts of all stripes to keep at the top of their list of bookmarks. Darwin is particularly well represented in recent

nunataktag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-55671025680286383742007-07-31T15:30:00.000Z2007-07-31T15:46:31.308Z

it's good to be stroked every now and again, and this post from the Readers and Writers blog has left us purring. It says nothing about our shipbuilding but is very complimentary about the writing on the blog:And, as only the Brits can do, the blog is extremely well written. Now believers in creationism and intelligent design, take note: Our interest in the blog is its writing and history, but

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-57384479239068828892007-07-30T13:09:00.000Z2007-07-30T13:21:08.362Z

The replica HMS Beagle is being designed and will be operated with real science in mind. We'll be both running long-term projects and inviting bids for shorter researcher led projects. Details on the new Beagle Project science page.

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-84694882594804105112007-07-30T10:25:00.000Z2007-07-30T13:18:53.709Z

Hurrah for the Sunday Star Times of New Zealand and their feature about physicist Paul Callaghan, most recent winner of the Blake Medal an award given to commemorate NZ sailing great Sir Peter Blake. Science, sailing, where's the evolution? Here: first of the key scientific concepts Paul Callaghan says we should understand is evolution:"THE FIRST concept I would choose, even as a physicist,

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-9325189549965179922007-07-29T14:32:00.000Z2007-07-29T21:06:19.885Z

Sculptor (and Beagle Project supporter) Anthony Smith has written about his Darwin bicentenary commission to cast a life size Charles Darwin for the college here.

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-45915497261857923562007-07-29T14:07:00.000Z2007-07-29T14:19:14.755Z

blog is well worth bookmarking and visiting. But dispersal author Michael Barton FCD has a secret sorrow. He is not British, or at least not a resident of this damp isle, so laments in comments he can't go and sign the 10 Downing Street make February the 12 Darwin Day petition. So will some right-thinking person click over and put your name down in his stead? Ta.

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-1709412901352383442007-07-28T13:11:00.000Z2007-07-28T13:50:32.818Z

Maybe this one of Darwin in his more mature years should say 'stand back, I've done some great science'. This photoshop by Anthony Smith for which many thanks. Anthony is a zoology graduate, artist and sculptor with a studio at Christ's College Cambridge, where Darwin got a degree in between enjoying himself and persecuting the local beetles. Christ's wish to celebrate their famous graduate in

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-1798748515638592007-07-27T15:58:00.000Z2007-07-27T16:30:22.651Z

for their £5000 donation towards the replica Beagle rebuild. Hopefully many of their young pupils will one day become scientists. Maybe a couple of them will say, 'I got interested in science when I went on that replica Beagle...' We look forward to welcoming pupils form Cothill House aboard, teaching them a bit about Charles Darwin, showing them the ropes, heads ('They went to the toilet like

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-1718122169410761592007-07-27T10:27:00.000Z2007-07-27T10:38:10.457Z

Montevideo 27 July 1832 I had no opportunity of taking a long walk, so that I went with the Captain to Rat island. whilst he took sights. I found some animals & amongst them there was one very curious. At first sight every one would pronounce it to be a snake: but two small hind legs or rather fins marks the passage by which Nature joins the Lizards to the Snakes.

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-13994594904385470632007-07-26T14:06:00.000Z2007-07-26T14:24:05.221Z

Some people in the British establishment might have wished Darwin had never set foot on HMS Beagle, never tried science (Queen Victoria, f'rinstance declined to give Darwin a knighthood on the advice of her Bishops, gainsaying the advice of her beloved husband Albert who was a science and progress fan). I bet some monumental twerps were knighted that year. Still, we're glad Darwin tried science

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-86231145596984389092007-07-26T10:13:00.000Z2007-07-26T10:25:46.992Z

Stephen Rushbrook, keep some time free for tea and cake aboard the replica HMS Beagle sometime in 2009 as our honoured guest. Stephen has started a petition on the 10 Downing Street (the UK Prime Minister's London gaff, for our overseas readership) website asking for 12 February (Charles Darwin's birthday) to be declared Darwin Day. 150 signatories so far, do pop over and add your name. Then go

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-62284050058006541922007-07-25T14:58:00.000Z2007-07-25T21:40:32.831Z

because we want more students to say (and do) this. Cartoon from XKCD, which you should visit daily. Update: Nunatak points out in comments that this completely ace cartoon is available on a t-shirt here. No thorax is complete without one. Is there anyone out there who could photoshop Charles Darwin wearing a 'stand back, i'm going try science' t-shirt. Please. It would be cool, and so

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-60144603490154450712007-07-19T23:44:00.001Z2007-07-25T13:48:10.317Z

When Charles Darwin saw the foot-long nectar spur on the Madagascan comet orchid, right, he predicted that a moth with a tongue at least a foot long must also exist. How else could such a freakishly long nectary be explained? He wrote, "our English sphinxes have probosces as long as their bodies: but in Madagascar there must be moths with probosces capable of extension to a length of between ten

nunataktag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-73293267769004700902007-07-19T10:48:00.000Z2007-07-19T22:07:01.984Z

Half a million people turn out to have a look, if the Halifax experience is anything to go by. That's a lot of eyes to get science outreach, education and the facts about evolution on front of. And your brand. When tall ships come to town (1) here.

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-6400093047321216582007-07-18T11:00:00.000Z2007-07-18T16:35:02.789Z

(and set a larval scientist's pulse racing) "My eyes were rejoiced with the sight of studding sails, alow & aloft, — that is wind abaft the beam & favourable. We are driving along at the rate 8 & 9 knots per hour. A wonderful shoal of Porpoises at least many hundreds in number crossed the bows of our vessel. The whole sea in places was furrowed by them; they proceeded by jumps, in which the

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-73852122362842375602007-07-17T17:44:00.000Z2007-07-18T10:23:21.244Z

And now, for your listening pleasure, a simulated soundscape of what it was (and will be) like to voyage aboard the Beagle. This delicious little discovery comes courtesy the American Museum of Natural History's Darwin Exhibition online.

nunataktag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-70836045852042339322007-07-17T16:32:00.000Z2007-07-17T16:40:29.292Z

the percentage of the British population that believes in evolution, "intelligent design" and creationism respectively, according to a MORI survey reported at new blog on the block Atheism and Religion. I've forgotten how many reasons to build a replica HMS Beagle we're up to now. But the fact that we have allowed 39% of the the population to walk away from compulsory science education without

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-21231716304300466972007-07-17T10:01:00.001Z2007-07-17T10:07:59.451Z

Professor Steve Jones writes (and writes well) about the beneficial effects of evolution outside the natural world - in the design of drugs and computing. Click over.

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-55516702940935331302007-07-17T09:15:00.000Z2007-07-17T09:39:28.860Z

Thanks to the Wellcome Trust for their £5000 towards our our educational efforts as part of their Darwin's Children initiative. Building a pretty ship to celebrate Darwin's 200th is only partly the point of the Beagle Project, it's what we do with it that matters. Wellcome is interested in continuing professional development for science teachers, and the money is to help us develop ideas in

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-27533778103394022412007-07-13T10:31:00.000Z2007-07-13T10:33:10.754Z

against creationist and ID bilge: Scientific American reports here.

Peter Mctag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117479.post-62785326577715569552007-07-09T15:39:00.000Z2007-07-09T22:58:07.131Z

Charles Darwin's Beagle diary 7, 8 and 9th July, Beagle has set sail from and the poor chap was sick as a dog. Meanwhile (though gritted teeth) thank you to the Dispersal of Darwin for reminding me that it was Commander Robert Fitzroy's anniversary on 5th July and Beagleblog missed it. So a belated happy birthday to him.

Peter Mc