ScienceNatural Sciences

The Darwin Library

Charles Darwin

In this library of natural inquiry, the works of Charles Darwin are read in full, that the patient listener may accompany him across seas, gardens, islands, and fields of observation. From the voyage of the Beagle to the intricate contrivances of orchids, from the descent of man to the humble labour of worms, these volumes reveal a world not fixed and silent, but ever changing, connected, and wonderfully adapted.

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45 episodes
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English

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S4 · E21
October 18 · 34 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter VII - On the Races of Man Part 4
In which the nuanced differences among human races are examined with a careful eye, revealing that these distinctions cannot be adequately explained by environmental influences, use of parts, or correlated development alone, thus suggesting the subtle...
S4 · E20
October 17 · 42 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter VII - On the Races of Man Part 3
In which we observe that many aboriginal races experience a marked decline in fertility and health upon modification of their native habits and environments, much as certain wild animals succumb to sterility when removed from natural conditions. It is...
S4 · E19
October 16 · 30 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter VII - On the Races of Man Part 2
In which the nature of human races and species is examined with careful consideration of their bodily and mental resemblances, alongside reflections on the gradual divergence and possible convergence of early human progenitors. The narrative then...
S4 · E18
October 15 · 24 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter VII - On the Races of Man Part 1
In which the distinctions among the various races of man are examined with a naturalist’s eye, weighing the constancy, variability, and physiological import of their differences alongside considerations of fertility, geographical distribution, and the...
S4 · E17
October 14 · 33 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter VI - On Affinities & Genealogy of Man Part 2
In which an ancient and intricate lineage of man is explored through the lens of comparative anatomy, embryology, and paleontology, revealing subtle links between creatures both distant and near in kind, and past epochs long buried from view. The...
S4 · E16
October 13 · 29 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter VI - On Affinities & Genealogy of Man Part 1
In which the position of man is examined with a careful eye to his anatomical and mental affinities to other mammals, especially the primates, revealing numerous subtle resemblances that suggest a common descent despite marked distinctions. The...
S4 · E15
October 12 · 29 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter V - On Development of Intellectual & Moral Faculties Part 2
In which the intricate interplay of intellect, morality, and social habits is examined through the lens of natural selection, demonstrating how various forces influence the propagation of both superior and inferior qualities within human societies....
S4 · E14
October 11 · 30 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter V - On Development of Intellectual & Moral Faculties Part 1
In which the gradual perfection of man’s intellectual and moral faculties is observed as chiefly governed by natural selection, aided by imitation, social instincts, and the approbation of one’s fellows, thus favouring tribes endowed with such...
S4 · E13
October 10 · 26 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter IV - Comparison of the Mental Powers of Man and Lower Animals cont. Part 3
In which the moral sentiments and social instincts of man are carefully examined through the lens of savage and civilised tribes, revealing how sympathy and virtue initially concern only the welfare of the tribe and gradually expand toward wider...
S4 · E12
October 9 · 27 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter IV - Comparison of the Mental Powers of Man and Lower Animals cont. Part 2
In which the intricate interplay of social instincts, such as sympathy and self-command, is observed to guide the actions of both animals and mankind, revealing how these impulses have been shaped and strengthened through natural selection to benefit...
S4 · E11
October 8 · 29 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter IV - Comparison of the Mental Powers of Man and Lower Animals cont. Part 1
In which the moral sense or conscience is examined as the highest distinction between man and the lower animals, with careful consideration given to how social instincts, sympathy, and habitual practices among animals might naturally give rise to a...
S4 · E10
October 7 · 30 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter III - Comparison of the Mental Powers of Man and Lower Animals Part 3
In which the curious origins and development of language are explored through analogies with the vocal habits of animals, demonstrating how speech likely arose from imitation, emotional expression, and gradual improvement of vocal organs, interwoven...
S4 · E9
October 6 · 36 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter III - Comparison of the Mental Powers of Man and Lower Animals Part 2
In which various instances are observed and recounted illustrating the faculties of reason, memory, and feeling shared between man and higher animals, drawing attention to their similar instincts, emotions, and capacity for association and...
S4 · E8
October 5 · 29 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter III - Comparison of the Mental Powers of Man and Lower Animals Part 1
In which the mental faculties of man are carefully weighed against those of the lower animals, revealing a gradual continuum rather than a sharp divide, with a shared capacity for emotions, memory, imitation, and reason. We observe, with a gentle...
S4 · E7
October 4 · 29 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter II - On Manner of Development of Man from some Lower Form Part 4
In which the gradual increase and modification of the human skull and brain are carefully examined, alongside the peculiar loss of bodily hair and the disappearance of the tail, all considered through the lens of natural selection and functional...
S4 · E6
October 3 · 27 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter II - On Manner of Development of Man from some Lower Form Part 3
In which the reader is invited to observe the delicate balance of prolificacy and survival among mankind’s rudest tribes, where natural checks such as famine, infanticide, and warfare temper the increase of numbers, whilst the gradual evolution of...
S4 · E5
October 2 · 23 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter II - On Manner of Development of Man from some Lower Form Part 2
In which the curious phenomena of arrested development and reversion in human anatomy are examined with delicate attention, revealing occasional reappearances of ancestral traits such as double uteri, distinct malar bones, and ape-like muscles that...
S4 · E4
October 1 · 21 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter II - On Manner of Development of Man from some Lower Form Part 1
In which the manifold variations of the human form and mind are carefully examined, revealing that man, like the lower animals, manifests diversity in bodily and mental traits influenced by inheritance, environmental conditions, and use or disuse of...
S4 · E3
September 30 · 33 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter I - Evidence of the Descent of Man from some Lower Form Part 2
In which the curious vestiges of human anatomy—such as the shape of the ear, the semi-functionless nictitating membrane, and the scattered hairs upon our bodies—are tenderly examined as faint echoes of our ancestral forms. These humble remnants, from...
S4 · E2
September 29 · 29 min
The Descent of Man Volume 1 Chapter I - Evidence of the Descent of Man from some Lower Form Part 1
In which the manifold correspondences between man and other mammals are carefully examined, ranging from similarities in bodily structure and embryonic development to shared maladies and rudimentary organs, all suggesting a common descent. The chapter...

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