1859: Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species is published [40]

Art Piece: The Summons, Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, 1856 [52]

Paper: Origin and evolution of the adaptive immune system: genetic events and selective pressures [59]

Darwin’s On the Origin of Species is arguably his magnum opus. From its first chapter descriptions of pigeon fancying as a means to allow the audience to ease into the theory of natural selection, to the one figure in a later chapter (a species-relationship phylogenetic tree), The Origin has cemented [172] itself part of the scientific canon forever. Publishing his magnum opus was, however, a long journey, one which marked a paradigm shift towards the Darwinian, more modern view of evolution and natural selection. Moreover, it was also a paradigm shift during its own time — previous views of Natural Theology and a Divine Creator [68] being responsible for the intricacies of Creation and nature were seemingly usurped by Darwin’s theories. Darwin’s text showcases evolution and natural selection in a very bright light, bringing these ideas to the forefront of public consciousness. Publishing this text was, however, somewhat risky — in a Victorian society still driven by faith and God (with Darwin’s wife Emma being religious) [13], Darwin’s book usurping the idea of a Divine Creator could have meant becoming a pariah in British Victorian society. However, Darwin’s book was met with much more positive feedback than Vestiges did, both further cementing Darwin’s role as a serious scientist and scholar while also introducing to society a new way to look at the world: through an evolutionary perspective. The artwork above [52] encapsulates this iconic moment in time in a unique way — in the painting, we see a bright and warm, golden light near the window looking out. This can be representative of Darwin’s ideas emanating light in the form of evolutionary understanding from one location to other places after his book’s publication. The light in the painting jumps out at you — much like how Darwin’s ideas jumped out at many people after the publication of Origin. The scientific paper above [59] also showcases just what Darwin (and Wallace) made possible — the paper discusses the origin and evolution of the adaptive immune system, a complex interconnection of cells, tissues, and molecules. This wonderful research would not have been possible if not for the theories of evolution and natural selection, a monumental paradigm shift for the world and society as a whole.