Darwin in action!

For the unenlightened, there is a wonderful site that celebrates one of the most important men of the 19th century (and I dare say one of the founders of modern agnosticism). Of course, you guessed it, I'm talking about Charles Darwin. His book was possibly the most controversial in all of scientific history, not only going against religious dogma but also possibly insulting the entire human race, although now we're much more open minded to these things. Well onto the site.

It doesn't actually have much to do with Darwin himself, or his works. Rather, it is based on his theories through a loose definition of it. In fact, you could call it a charter of human evolution in action, or as they put it the site aims to "commemorate those who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it". In short, it is a collaboration of stories in which people find a way to kill or maim themselves in a funny and utterly stupid manner.

But enough talking, here is the web address: http://www.darwinawards.com/

The way some people find to selflessly remove themselves from the gene pool is mind-boggling and I'm sure most of you will get a laugh or two out of it. Or at least a chuckle. Perhaps a head shake or two then?

I'll give some examples in case some of you aren't convinced. I remember reading about an armed criminal who was being chased by the police. Now, so that be wouldn't be slowed down while trying to deter the police (by shooting at them) he had a stroke of genius and decided to shoot backwards. For a reason that escapes the limited mental capabilities of the author, this man somehow managed to shoot not the police, but himself in the head, and ending his criminal activities once and for all.

I remember this other man who, in order to pull off an insurance scam, decided to enlist the help of his cousin. Now the plan was for the cousin to, believe it or not, amputate this man's leg using a chainsaw, and then for the man to save himself using his knowledge (limited, as it turned out) of first aid. Expectedly, things took a turn for the worse when the man discovered that the bleeding was in fact too profuse for him to stop, and he promptly expired, to the obvious shock of the cousin, who fled but was later apprehended by police (I think he might have turned himself in actually, but memory fails me).

And I remember more than one case of people trying to open hand grenades and other explosives (e.g. landmines etc.) with various forms of saws in order to access the gunpowder inside or see how the thing works. Well, what a surprise for them when they blew up in their faces huh?

Well that's enough from me. Go check it out now!