A few nights back, I had the pleasure of attending a special launch event at London’s Natural History Museum.

Darwin200 is a collaboration of UK scientific and cultural organisations to celebrate the Big Man’s bicentenary next year, plus 150 years since publication of a certain bestseller. Where better to launch procedings than the terra cotta halls of the NHM?

The recently moved statue of Darwin (see if you can spot him in the photo above) sat in pride of place atop the museum’s grand staircase, his marble gaze puzzling over an illuminated brontosaurus. It’s a pity that the sequel to Night at the Museum won’t be set here. Instead of mucking about with model soldiers, Ben Stiller could go on an evolutionary journey of discovery with Mr Darwin as guide.

Back to reality, and Sir Martin Rees, head of the Royal Society and Astronomer Royal, gave a memorable speech. Despite being a physicist, he said, he would rather celebrate Darwin’s achievements than those of that other ‘Great’ of English science, Isaac Newton—mostly because Darwin was a lot more affable. I also got a sneak preview of the Darwin’s Canopy entries, and listened to a poet pretending to be Darwin’s notebook.

Speaking of which, make sure you get hold of one of these:

The Charles Darwin diary 2009 is a work of beauty, crammed with illustrations and information. I don’t think they’re available yet, but keep an eye on the Natural History Museum shop.

Although a facsimile Darwin wandered around in a fake beard, I sadly didn’t get to meet the genuine article.