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To Darwin, with love


What does Charles Darwin have in common with Albert Einstein? And before becoming famous for his theory of evolution, what did Darwin do for a living?
 
These were just some of the questions that were asked in a quiz game during the celebration of Darwin Day last Feb. 16, Saturday, in Makati City, organized by a group which advocates scientific approaches to understanding the world.
 
Freethought group the Filipino Freethinkers (FF) organized the event to commemorate the life of Charles Darwin, who was born on Feb. 12, 1809, and his groundbreaking work in the field of evolution. However, aside from the celebration of Darwin Day, Valentine’s Day was also acknowledged that day as well, thus the title of FF’s event, “Darwin Date.”
 
According to FF themselves in the event’s description, they “decided to celebrate the Darwinian aspects of love, relationships, and sexy times (and the awesomeness that is Darwin and his famed theory of evolution) in the very first Darwin Date!”
 
The event also had a series of talks, with topics including Natural Adaptation and Selection, Why Sex Matters in Evolution, Proud of your "Pinoy DNA"?, and Darwin the Freethinker.
 
A “sexual selection” dating game and a quiz bee thrown into the mix (by the way, if you’re still wondering about the answers to the three questions asked, here they are, respectively: first of all, they both married their respective cousins, and Darwin was also a geologist by trade).
 
The aim of the event was to make science more engaging and interactive, aside from just being enlightening, provocative, and educational.
 
“Darwin Date” is part of the worldwide celebration of the life and times of the charismatic prime proponent of the theory of evolution. The event was also promoted by the International Darwin Day Foundation, a group that has the mission of promoting public education about science and to encourage the celebration of science and humanity.
 
According to FF president Red Tani, “Darwin Date” is one of a series of talks on "reason, science and secularism." As a non-stock, non-profit organization that seeks to promote scientific inquiry, the talks are one way of continuing discussion about science- and secular-related issues that are open to the public and not confined to the academe.
 
Aside from scientific education endeavors, FF has also been involved in the forefront of issues such as pushing for the reproductive health law as well as for the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
 
Tani said the group has been more well-known since being founded in 2009 (the FF celebrated its 4th anniversary on Feb. 1), and current, almost weekly meet-ups now have attendance ranging from 30 up to 80 people. 
 
“We need more groups that promote scientific ideas for the laymen,” Tani said. “Academics would already know (many RSS-related issues). We want to make it more fun and accessible.”
 
“On a personal level, I think important din siya na informed ka with science because like we all understand naman na medicine or technology...very important siya. In this day and age, it’s important to understand,” he also said. — TJD, GMA News
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