Darwin: Publish Now or Wait (1858)
by Anonymous
Darwin sat on his theory of evolution for 20 years until Alfred Russel Wallace independently developed the same idea. Forced to act, Darwin and Wallace presented jointly, then Darwin rushed 'On the Origin of Species' to print.
Publish Immediately (Joint Presentation)
1858-1859
year
Wallace's letter forced his hand
trigger
Religious backlash, social ostracism
risk
Chosen — Origin of Species published 1859, transformed biology
outcome
Continue Waiting
1858
year
N/A
trigger
Wallace publishes first, Darwin loses priority
risk
Not chosen — Wallace's letter made delay impossible
outcome
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