Today we know that the blueprint for life lies in the nucleus of every cell in the human body. Often referred to DNA, its full name is deoxyribonucleic acid. We now know a lot about DNA, but it’s been a long journey to develop that understanding and has involved many people. This story of the blueprint of life spans over 140 years of research.

Though Darwin is almost inseparably linked to the theory of evolution, another British scientist, Alfred Russel Wallace, independently proposed a theory of natural selection at the same time as Darwin. His story of exploration illustrates that science is not the result of herculean individual efforts.

Charles Darwin’s near legendary status has made him seem larger than life. The real Darwin was a complex man, very different than common perceptions of him. This story examines his life and his contributions to biological science.

In 1878, a customer asked about Gregor Mendel’s pea plants responded that Mendel was “one of the best clerics,” but “not a soul believed his experiments were anything more than the maundering of a charming putterer.” About 20 years later, this “charming putterer” would be hailed for developing two ideas that we now accept as fundamental laws of inheritance.