Episodes from the Biography podcast. Useful for teachers’ background knowledge.

Episode 1: Before Darwin

Charles Darwin is such a large figure in the world of science that sometimes we forget how different our understanding of life was before he put forward his theories of evolution and natural selection. So how did Darwin grow up, and what did society think during that time?

Episode 2: The Voyage of the Beagle

Having completed his studies, a young Charles Darwin looks set to continue his exploration of the natural world by joining a voyage around the world on the HMS Beagle.

Episode 3: The Theories of Charles Darwin

Darwin returns from his voyage around the world and spends the next twenty years sorting through specimens and writing about barnacles, plants, and geology. In 1859 he publishes On the Origin of Species, and the world comes to term with evolution.

Episode 4: How Evolution Works

While Darwin has many theories and important scientific works, the one he is most remembered for is evolution and natural selection. Biography explores how evolution works, and how it has changed since Darwin published ‘On the Origin of Species’.

Episode 5: Darwin’s Warm Reception

Charles Darwin’s theories didn’t just stir up controversy, it polarised society on every level. If Charles Darwin was right, where did that leave the work of God and creation? An ideal example of the reaction to Darwin is illustrated by a case of three stuffed gorillas in the Melbourne Museum.

Episode 6: So Many Barnacles, So Little Time

With his work on natural selection and evolution now out in the public for debate, Charles Darwin changes the focus of his research and manages to keep himself busy for the rest of his days. He never manages to top the publication of ‘On the Origin of Species’ but there’s no doubt that he’s one of the most influential minds of the Victorian age.