Today I took about twenty minutes between classes to just sit. I sat on the patio in front of the library in a chair. I thought, "If I were Darwin, what would I look for in my surroundings?" I noticed at first the wind. I could feel the wind on my skin, rustle through the trees, and make currents in the lake. Does the wind have a purpose? Where does this invisible force come from? What does the wind affect? Dispersal comes to mind. The wind transports seeds as a method of procreation. Wind creates currents too. Looking at the water I noticed the ducks, swans, and even a stork grazing by the bank. How could all three bird species coexist? They must occupy different niches, perhaps they even have a mutualistic relationship. Sexual selection came to mind. The male ducks have green heads and the female ducks are fully brown. Does each bird species have a different mating ritual? Why do they all just hang out together?

I'm not sure I will ever think like Darwin, nor I am i sure that I will ever become fully interested in the topics that fascinated Darwin. I do know that taking a second to look at my surroundings did pose a lot of questions. Science is a powerful force, and evolution and natural selection are processes that are at work everyday and since the beginning of time.