Sunday, September 6, 2009 | Reason : In the News | print version

Print | Comments |

The Ascent of Darwin... onto the Plinth

by British Humanist Association

Thanks to Bob for the link
http://www.humanism.org.uk/news/view/352.

he father of natural selection, Charles Darwin, will be on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square today at 6pm as part of Antony Gormley's One And Other project.

Definitively resolving the 150-year running debate about his philosophical beliefs, Darwin will be accompanied by an original Atheist Bus slogan.

If you can't be there in person you can ask the great man questions via http://www.twitter.com/QuestionDarwin and watch him reply live at http://www.oneandother.co.uk.

Obviously it's not the real Darwin on the plinth today; it's one of his helpers, namely Ben Hawkes from the comedy troupe The Missing Inc. They'll be performing their new show The Beagle Has Landed - the not-so-true story of Charles Darwin - as a fundraiser for the BHA on Saturday 19 September at the Bloomsbury Theatre, 7.30pm.
Notes

Tickets for The Beagle Has Landed are at http://www.thebloomsbury.com/event/run/1368 for a competitive £15 and all proceeds will be donated to fund the work of the British Humanist Association.

For comment from the BHA contact Bob Churchill on bob@humanism.org.uk or call 0774 397 1937.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing and supporting the non-religious and campaigning for an end to religious privilege and to discrimination based on religion or belief. It is the largest organisation in the UK working for a secular state.

Posted: Sunday, September 6, 2009 | Permalink

Comments 1 - 14 of 14 |

Reload Comments | Back to Top | Page Numbers

1. Comment #412854 by crusader234 on September 6, 2009 at 3:38 pm

Other Comments by crusader234

2. Comment #412876 by Lucas on September 6, 2009 at 4:38 pm

Yikes, somebody's been watching a bit too much Xavier: Renegade Angel.

Other Comments by Lucas

3. Comment #412880 by GumbyTTL on September 6, 2009 at 4:53 pm

This is something I wish I could see in person, but I'm currently tied to a college in Michigan.

Other Comments by GumbyTTL

4. Comment #412999 by vega on September 7, 2009 at 5:55 am

Plinth cam!

http://www.oneandother.co.uk/

(May not be viewable outside Europe) :(

Other Comments by vega

5. Comment #413036 by Ivan The Not So Bad on September 7, 2009 at 12:43 pm

Comment #412999 by vega

Many thank's for giving us the excellent live webcam link (I also see you get an opportunity to rate each "performer").

Other Comments by Ivan The Not So Bad

6. Comment #413199 by zengardener on September 7, 2009 at 11:15 pm

What the heck is a plinth?

Other Comments by zengardener

7. Comment #413210 by NakedCelt on September 7, 2009 at 11:54 pm

Comment #413199 by zengardener:

What the heck is a plinth?

It's the base a statue, or sometimes a pillar, stands on.

Other Comments by NakedCelt

8. Comment #413358 by mjwemdee on September 8, 2009 at 3:43 pm

They've been quibbling for years over what should be placed on the fourth and unoccupied plinth in London's Trafalgar Square. The latest idea seems to be to allow installation pieces (e.g. members of the public eager to make idiots of themselves) or modernistic pieces which are not always in keeping with the neo-classicism of the Square. Why don't they put a permanent memorial statue to Darwin there - possibly a replica for the one recently moved into place within the Natural History Museum£ He is after all one of England's greatest.

Other Comments by mjwemdee

9. Comment #413388 by friendlypig on September 8, 2009 at 6:04 pm

George Lennan on September 8, 2009 at 9:20 am
avatartotally totally off topic - maybe someone who knows how to do these things could move this to an appropriate thread???

Anyone tell me how to start a new thread so I don't do this again? Cheers.

Check under the Contact tab at the top of the page and scroll down until you reach the appropriate bit.

Other Comments by friendlypig

10. Comment #413392 by George Lennan on September 8, 2009 at 6:23 pm

thank you pig :)

Other Comments by George Lennan

11. Comment #413486 by HughCaldwell on September 9, 2009 at 12:43 am

Alan Turing is a good candidate for the fourth plinth. Actually, the other three plinths are occupied by faded luminaries who might be shunted off to make way for more relevant figures; General Sir Charles James Napier, Major General Sir Henry Havelock and King George IV have had their day, surely.

Other Comments by HughCaldwell

12. Comment #413591 by Peacebeuponme on September 9, 2009 at 12:58 pm

HughCaldwell

Actually, the other three plinths are occupied by faded luminaries who might be shunted off to make way for more relevant figures; General Sir Charles James Napier, Major General Sir Henry Havelock and King George IV have had their day, surely.

Yes I agree. It almost seems a bit offensive to modern Britain to have statues, in the main square of the capital, of two Generals most noted for campaigns in occupied India/Pakistan.

Other Comments by Peacebeuponme

13. Comment #413964 by PERSON on September 11, 2009 at 9:14 am

"11. Comment #413486 by HughCaldwell on September 9, 2009 at 12:43 am
Alan Turing is a good candidate for the fourth plinth."
I take it you've seen this? Credit where it's due, etc.

Other Comments by PERSON

14. Comment #414238 by Roger Stanyard on September 12, 2009 at 9:31 am

mjwemdee says

Why don't they put a permanent memorial statue to Darwin there - possibly a replica for the one recently moved into place within the Natural History Museum£ He is after all one of England's greatest.

Well, I would love that to happen. The fundies will go apeshit!

One way to fund it is to ask for donations in the form of £10 notes - those with the picture of Darwin on them.

Other Comments by Roger Stanyard

Reload Comments | Back to Top