[Music]
In 1859 Darwin spilled the first splashes 
Of his universal acid,
and the effects were like magic 
Burning human arrogance into ashes 
I mean, pretty much the same way
that Copernican math did 
No, the stars don't shine
just to improve the view from earth 
No, we're not the centre of the universe 
No, we weren't created in the image of Jupiter 
No, we're not so special,
and yes, the truth hurts 
But that's how evolution works
once it's been applied 
The acid burns its way into the superstitious side 
Of the human mind,
and fills it with light 
It even dissolves
the original sin of pride 
That pride that says:
"I'm a special creation 
And my creator has given me
dominion over nature 
And he has the power
to replenish his creatures 
So if species go extinct,
Well, he can recreate them later 
And if he doesn't,
well that's just part of his plan" 
Ah, but Darwin's acid is hard to withstand 
It plucks the arrogance
deep from within the hearts of man 
And teaches us never to
build our houses on sand 
But instead to try to understand
why we're here 
Just one species among millions
in this biosphere 
With millions of ancestors behind us,
whose fighting spirits comdined
to give us
this great survival gear 
These minds, these limbs,
these incredible tools 
Perfected by millennia
of competitive use 
And yes, these attention-seeking
genitals too 
Without them, these human forms
could never improve 
It's such an elegant view,
Filled with breadth and grandeur 
And yet, some people react with
depression and anger 
And say: "It's so unsympathetic,
Its so viciously random! 
What's the point of compassion,
or ethical standards? 
If this is just a game
that organisms are trapped in 
Genetically adapting
to environmental factors 
Then there's no responsibility
for individual actions!
It's nihilistic! 
Where's the governing dynamic?!?" 
Well, once again Darwin gives us some answers 
He says yes, everything
from violets to violence to viruses 
Its all just organisms adapting to environments 
If you're alive, it's because
your ancestors were the best survivalists
They were the finalists
in the genetic Olympic Games 
Every one of your ancestors
survived to reproductive age 
And they were all better than their competitors
at getting laid
Otherwise, you just wouldn't be sitting here
today
Some say: "it's cynical."
But I find something inspirational
in this vision of Darwin's
And it goes like this:
organisms 
are not isolated
Organisms are part of an environmental mix 
So your decisions affect evolution
it isn't directionless
Now, before you dismiss me
as a mad environmentalist
Just try to imagine
how natural selection applies
To countries that have industrialized 
Companies live and companies die 
And when customers buy
based on a company's green plan
That affects the economy,
just ask Alan Greenspan 
See, cultural evolution is ours to reinvent 
Wait, can we affect current events?
Yes We Can 
And when we choose who to sleep with
and reproduce 
Our sexual choices
affect the gene pool 
So it's simple,
all we need to do is refuse 
To sleep with mean people,
and things will improve 
Especially women
on you the pressure is greater 
'Cause men will always do what it takes
to get into your favour
That's just in our nature,
so if selfish behaviour 
Was a sexual graveyard,
the effects would be major! 
In each of these cases,
our intentional efforts 
Can play the part of
environmental pressures 
I can say: "This is a space
where a peaceful existence 
Will never be threatened
by needless aggression" 
I can say: "This is an ecosystem
where people listen 
Where justice increases over egotism 
I can say: "this is a space where religions
achieve co-existence 
And racism decreases
with each coalition" 
This is my vision of Darwinism,
and how we all factor in 
Each of us is a part of the environment;
we all pass through it 
And then we change it, and affect the way
that others adapt to it 
And afterwards we get to look back
and see how we impacted it 
And maybe have a laugh
if our sense of humour is still alive
And what did Charles Darwin do?
Darwin threw some light
On the origin of mankind,
and he left us with skewered pride
But he taught us that, yes,
there's grandeur in this view of life
There is grandeur in this view of life
And the fact that it also happens to be true,
Is nice.
But I can't say it as well as Mr. Charles Darwin
So come on, let's hear your version
From the Origin...
There is grandeur in this view of life,
with its several powers
having been originally breathed
into a few forms or into one,
And that, whilst this planet has gone cycling
on
according to the fixed law of gravity,
from so simple a beginning,
endless forms most beautiful,
and most wonderful have been,
and are being, evolved.
