A few weeks ago I attended a lecture at the Zoological Museum in Copenhagen where biologist and scientific reporter Jørn Madsen has made an exhibit ’evolution’ to commemorate Charles Darwin. He also is translating the first edition of ’the origin of the species’ into Danish. We learned a lot about the life of Charlels Darwin.

You write about the symposium: As for me, rather than the more typical science-based talk that I would have normally given in a situation like this, I realized that it would be somewhat arrogant of me to presume to be able to tell some of the world’s leading experts on these islands anything that they did not already know.

Which reminded me about a young american Naval Officer who also, at a seminar, should lecture the old top-brass something that was his specialty. So he also had the same problem, how to overcome the in-bred opposition by old wise men and women.

He therefor began his lecture by saying: ” I know there are many who know more about the subject I am to lecture about, but I see none of them here ”

And perhaps you, when you are old, will be among these wise men !

Thank you for an interesting lecure. William Hempel, Copenhagen.