Curiosity, chloroform and cobra poison: what Darwin did next
Duration: 52 mins 43 secs
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| Description: |
When Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859, he was only fifty and most of his publications lay ahead. The rest of his life can be seen as a one long research programme exploring the implications of his evolutionary ideas, and in particular their implications for one species - humans. He is most famous for showing that people are related to other animals, but he did much more than that: he showed that all animals, including us, are related to all other living things – to plants. The story of Darwin’s discovery of carnivorous plants – plants that eat – and also of plants that sleep, and plants that move, has all the ingredients of a blockbuster: beauty, seduction, deceit, and mass murder – or 'tremendous slaughter' as Darwin called it. It also has chloroform, cobra poison, and a lot of curiosity. And it is in Darwin’s private letters and notebooks that the fun really happens.
Presented with Cambridge University Press. - See more at: http://www.sciencefestival.cam.ac.uk/events/curiosity-chloroform-and-cobra-poison-what-darwin-did-next#sthash.QQ6w2twU.dpuf |
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| Created: | 2016-04-04 09:06 |
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| Collection: | Cambridge Science Festival 2016 |
| Publisher: | University of Cambridge |
| Copyright: | University of Cambridge |
| Language: | eng (English) |