| May. 5th, 2006 @ 04:08 pm On the subject of natural selection |
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First I have to emphasize how loud the fight outside our window was.
It was two nights aga, Rebecca and I were working on our field reports when some girl started screaming, along with another girl and a guy. We couldn't see them because of the row of apartments blocking the road, but oh god, we could hear them. It lasted a good half hour, starting with insults and seguing into a catfight. We sat in the window and listened in amusement the whole time. Better than television.
Wednesday, we stayed in Harlow and did classwork, interrupted for lunch with Axel Meisen and the Board of Directors, who seemed very conscientious of our comfort, if nothing else. I think they want us to stay forever, which many of us would quite happily do, but the rent is exhorbitant.
Thursday, we went to the London Zoo, which was a lot of fun, but insanely warm and we nearly died tracking around all day. Afterwards, we went to Regent's Park and to 221B Baker Street to visit my hero :D We came home that night and went to The Chequers, which is this really dodgy pub full of creepy, skeezy older men. Luckily, we chicks were safely in the company of Dan, Tom and Mike, three of the local guys (Dan and Tom live in the residence with us). We spent a lovely evening drinking Strongbow and Guiness and doing a socialogical comparison of Canadian hockey to British football.
Today, we went to Down House, the residence of Charles Darwin, where he lived with his wife, 7 children, assorted aging relatives, and any visiting scientists. I will say right now, I'd take my toothbrush and move in tonight, because the house and garden are so beautiful. The first floor is preserved, with the living room, dining room, billiard room, hallways and study, where he actually wrote On the Origin of the Species. The second floor was an exhibition, charting the Darwin-Wedgewood geneology, displaying some of Darwin's specimens from his trip on the HMS Beagle, and some exhibits about the social and religious debates that were going on when Origin of the the Species and the Descent of Man were published. Biologist's mecca, seriously.
On a hilarious note, when Darwin was ready to send the first manuscript for the Origin of the Species to his friend, Thoman Lyell (a famous geologist), he realized it was missing. It was soon discovered that his wife had accidently put it in the nursery, and the children had used it for drawing paper. So what was arguably one of the most important biological papers ever written was sent off for review covered with crayon drawings. Best story ever.
That;s it for now. I have two field reports due and a big pile of laundry with my name on it. Oh joy. |
distressed
cranky
amused
irritated
sad
lazy
dorky
sleepy
excited
busy