The Kiwi’s Darwin Conection

A recent book on Charles Darwin compares the launching of his theory of evolution to a kiwi laying an egg. In The Reluctant Mr Darwin: An Intimate Portrait of Charles Darwin and the Making of his Theory of Evolution, author David Quammen paints the legendary scientist as a painstaking, shy and socially conservative man dabbling in revolutionary and dangerous ideas. Like the long and laborious gestation of a kiwi’s egg, Darwin’s ideas took a great amount of time to develop and reach fruition. “A female brown kiwi weighs less than five pounds,” writes Quammen. “Her egg weighs almost a pound … It seems impossible. How can she carry this thing? How can she deliver? Will it reward her efforts and discomforts, or rip her apart? … The point is simply metaphor. Every time I see that X-ray of the mama kiwi, I think: There’s Darwin during the years of gestation.”


Tags: Charles Darwin  David Quammen  In The Reluctant Mr Darwin: An Intimate Portrait of Charles Darwin and the Making of his Theory of Evolution  kiwi birds  NPR  

Emilia Wickstead Helping Airline Make an Impression

Emilia Wickstead Helping Airline Make an Impression

Around the globe, airlines and hotels are collaborating with top fashion houses to reshape brand narratives, like Air New Zealand and their partnership with London-based Emilia Wickstead. Condé Nast Traveler’s Caitlin…