Bringing Darwin Back to Life

Down House, Charles Darwin's home in Kent, England, is set to reopen to the public this week with a new permanent exhibition marking 200 years since he was born. The house and gardens have been restored and visitors can come and see what it was like to live and work here, as Darwin did for 40 years until his death. "It places Down House firmly on the international map as one of the world's most important scientific heritage sites," says Sir Barry Cunliffe, chairman of English Heritage, the group that led the restoration project. Nailing more than a few details, the organization has even brought the potted plants on top of the piano back to life -- "Darwin used to have his wife and children play music to earthworms and study the effect it had on the creatures," says a story in the BBC.