science

The Life of Erasmus Darwin

The Life of Erasmus Darwin is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand The Life of Erasmus Darwin rather than just read about it. In short: The Life of Erasmus Darwin is the 1879 biography of Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802) by his grandson Charles Darwin and the German biologist Ernst Krause. Ernst Krause wrote a paper on the scientific works of Erasmus Darwin which was published in the German-language journal Kosmos in February 1879.

Key takeaways

The Life of Erasmus Darwin belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect The Life of Erasmus Darwin to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of The Life of Erasmus Darwin from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Life of Erasmus Darwin is the 1879 biography of Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802) by his grandson Charles Darwin and the German biologist Ernst Krause. Ernst Krause wrote a paper on the scientific works of Erasmus Darwin which was published in the German-language journal Kosmos in February 1879. This was translated into English by William Sweetland Dallas as "The Scientific Works of Erasmus Darwin" (pages 130–216 in the original edition), and Charles Darwin added a "preliminary notice" based on material that was in the possession of his family (pages 1–127). Before publication however 16% of the work was cut out by Charles' daughter Henrietta Litchfield — mostly the most provocative parts. It was also published in German as Erasmus Darwin und seine Stellung in der Geschichte der Descendenz-Theorie von Ernst Krause. Mit seinem Lebens- und Charakterbilde von Charles Darwin ("Erasmus Darwin and his place in the history of the theory of descent by Ernst Krause. With his life and character by Charles Darwin"). A second (English) edition, edited by Charles Darwin's son Francis was published in 1887. An unabridged edition edited by Desmond King-Hele was published in 2003 to mark the 200th anniversary since Erasmus' death. Krause made some alterations and additions to his paper before it was translated, indirectly referring to Samuel Butler's book Evolution Old and New. Butler took exception to not being properly attributed, and this resulted in a "sordid and one-sided quarrel in which Darwin remained silent"

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with The Life of Erasmus Darwin

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what The Life of Erasmus Darwin claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to The Life of Erasmus Darwin before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about The Life of Erasmus Darwin ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of The Life of Erasmus Darwin

In research: The Life of Erasmus Darwin appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses The Life of Erasmus Darwin in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: The Life of Erasmus Darwin is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1870s English-language non-fiction books, 1879 non-fiction books, Biographical book stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for The Life of Erasmus Darwin outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study The Life of Erasmus Darwin in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what The Life of Erasmus Darwin means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain The Life of Erasmus Darwin out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is The Life of Erasmus Darwin in simple terms?

Why does The Life of Erasmus Darwin matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study The Life of Erasmus Darwin?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on The Life of Erasmus Darwin.