Janet Browne’s talk on the Darwinian revolution revealed the power that people have to shape revolutionary narratives. Darwin himself hinted at the revolution that his explanation of evolution would cause. Supported by his family, who began to cement his legacy even when he was still alive, Darwin’s fame only grew after he published On the Origin of Species. Atheists and scientific groups have subsequently appropriated Darwin’s image and the story surrounding his ‘discovery’ of evolution has undergone various revisions. If the story of Charles Darwin draws out over hundreds of years, what other revolutions that have happened or are happening are subject to the influence of contemporary historians, philosophers, and everyday people? Probably all of them. The ways that revolutions are represented in popular culture impact the social conception of what happened as much as, if not more than, what actually happened. Continue reading