From December 27, 1831, to October 2, 1836, the HMS Beagle set out on a scientific survey expedition in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. On the ship was a young man named Charles Darwin. That expedition exposed him to ideas that would develop his theory of natural selection which would revolutionize the world of biology. This episode is not about that theory ... Show More
Yesterday
Bernardo de Gálvez: Forgotten Hero of the American Revolution
When Americans tell the story of the Revolutionary War, the focus usually falls on Washington, Jefferson, and the battles fought in the thirteen colonies. Yet independence was also won through foreign support. Some of it, in France's case, was quite overt. Spain also supported th ... Show More
16m 52s
Apr 27
Cotton: How It Helped Build The Modern World
It is soft, common, and something most people wear almost every day. Yet behind this humble fabric lies one of the most dramatic stories in human history. Cotton connected ancient civilizations, built global trade networks, fueled the Industrial Revolution, enriched empires, and ... Show More
14m 31s
Apr 2024
Miriam Piilonen, "Theorizing Music Evolution: Darwin, Spencer, and the Limits of the Human" (Oxford UP, 2024)
What did historical evolutionists such as Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer have to say about music? What role did music play in their evolutionary theories? What were the values and limits of these evolutionist turns of thought, and in what ways have they endured in present-day ... Show More
1h 17m