Today, I’m joined by Dr. John van Wyhe, historian of science at the National University of Singapore and one of the world’s leading experts on Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. We break open the myths, misunderstandings, and surprising truths behind Darwin’s life, the Voyage of the Beagle, the long road to the theory of evolution, and why the Galápagos were not the eureka moment you've always heard about.
John walks us through how scientists in the 1830s actually understood geology, extinction, and the age of the Earth — and why nearly everything we think about that era is wrong. We explore Darwin’s five evolving theories, Wallace’s unexpected role, the tension between science and religion (or lack of it), and the moment the modern idea of natural selection finally clicked.
He also highlights his upcoming book with Oxford University Press, Darwin’s Geological Diary and Field Notes from the Voyage of the Beagle, and recommends a surprising Darwin book about earthworms that became a Victorian bestseller.
This conversation was extraordinary — and just the beginning. We’ll be bringing John back to dive into the global impact Darwin’s theory had after publication.
Book mentioned: The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms
Darwin Online: https://darwin-online.org.uk
John’s recommended reading: Dispelling the Darkness
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