On 12th February formula D_, together with the global scientific community and informal science educators, will celebrate International Darwin Day. The mission of this day, which is Darwin’s birthday, is to inspire people to reflect and act on the principles of intellectual bravery, perpetual curiosity, scientific thinking, and hunger for truth – all of which is embodied in the work and legacy Charles Darwin. It will be a day of celebration, activism and international cooperation for the advancement of science, environmental education and human well-being.
Darwin Day, which has been celebrated since the centenary of Darwin’s birth in 1809, will be observed by the United Nations and its members as an opportunity to engage in international partnerships through the common language of science. In addition, science and conservation organisations, and individuals will carry out a variety of community-based activities that raise awareness on the importance of science towards sustainability and human welfare.
formula D_ recognises that, through our work, it is not only important to communicate science but also to celebrate the value of science and the crucial role that it plays in helping to resolve the many challenges that humankind, and the other inhabitants of the planet, face. This is especially important at a time when pseudoscience and anti-science sentiments, spread through the megaphone of social media, which is are attempting to undermine the value of science in the public’s eye.
To celebrate Darwin’s legacy, formula D_ is contributing directly to two projects in Cape Town , i.e., the Darwin200 project and the Darwin Bust Campaign.
Darwin200 is an international project whose flagship, the Dutch tall ship, Oosterschelde, is currently sailing around the world retracing the route that HMS Beagle followed over 180 years ago. During this voyage, in April 2025, Oosterschelde will make a landfall in Cape Town during which she will host a variety of conservation, education and research activities.
The Darwin Bust Campaign aims to mount a bronze bust of a young Charles Darwin, depicting his visit to the Cape Colony in June 1836, on Simon’s Town Jetty near to where HMS Beagle dropped anchor all those years ago. The bust, which has already been created by Cape Town sculptor Johan Steyn, will be officially unveiled in April 2025 by Dr Sarah Darwin, the great, great granddaughter of Charles Darwin, who is also the patron of the Darwin200 project.
A variety of ancillary events will also take place at this time, including an art exhibition entitled ‘The Art of Evolution’, a play on Darwin written for the event by the famous Scottish author and poet, Sir Alexander McCall Smith, and excursions to places visited by Darwin in the Cape.
As a global citizen, formula D_ is proud to support these projects, which brings attention of one of the greatest minds in the history of science. We regard Darwin, a humble but deeply committed scientist, as a worthy symbol around whom a global celebration of science and humanity should be organised.
