How can Darwin be used to inspire the scientists of tomorrow? What is the best way to communicate his theories to a modern audience? And what events have been taking place all over the world to commemorate him? Sheila Ochugboju from the African Technology Policy Studies Network, Janice Asnine from the OU and Roberta Kacowicz from The British Council in Brazil, discuss the various initiatives that they have been involved in all over the world to promote Darwin. Their work shows that he can still be both relevant and exciting, and that diverse methods can be used to introduce young people and a variety of modern communities to Darwin’s theories and the fundamentals of his scientific approach. The tracks on this album were produced by The Open University in collaboration with the British Council. They form part of Darwin Now, a global initiative celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution continue to have on today’s world. © British Council 2009.

Charles Darwin is one of most famous scientists of the nineteenth century, but what was he like as a child, a father and a husband? How did his emotional response to the world affect his scientific theories? And how widespread is his influence today? This album looks at Darwin's rich and complex legacy. Ruth Padel, one of his direct descendants, offers a series of unique insights into Darwin the man, through recollections of childhood conversations with her grandmother, readings from family letters and her own cycle of biographical poems. Within the scientific world, Darwin remains an inspirational figure both for evolutionary biologists and for many other practitioners. The Nigerian scientist, Sheila Ochugboju, reveals how influential Darwin has been on her own career, and Professor Colin Pillinger of The Open University compares the voyage of the Beagle with his recent mission to Mars. The album concludes with a visit to the Grant Museum of comparative biology at UCL in London, which is dedicated to Robert Edmond Grant, a professor of biology who was an important early influence on Darwin.

The tracks on this album were produced by The Open University in collaboration with the British Council. They form part of Darwin Now, a global initiative celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution continue to have on today’s world. © The British Council 2009.

Is 'natural selection' inimical to bio-diversity? Why is the natural world not dominated by a few 'super' species? And in the future, can the richness of nature be preserved? In this album, Jonathan Silvertown, Professor of Ecology at The Open University, explains how Darwinian theory uses the concept of niche specialisation to account for the diversity of flora and fauna on Earth. If it were not for environmental niches, Darwinian 'demons', might emerge, powerful species whose evolutionary fitness makes them all conquering. However, according to Darwin, the natural world is infinitely complex and inhabited by a multitude of different species, each of which is peculiarly adapted to its local environment.
The tracks on this album were produced by The Open University in collaboration with the British Council. They form part of Darwin Now, a global initiative celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution continue to have on today’s world. © British Council 2009.

John Murray VII tells the fascinating story of how his ancestor, John Murray III, was offered the manuscript of Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species. Drawing upon original letters, photographs, family stories and the help of a set of live pigeons, he gives a unique insight in to the early history of this epoch-making book, telling how early readers advised John Murray against publishing it and revealing the small but crucial revisions that Darwin made to subsequent editions of the book. The tracks on this album were produced by The Open University in collaboration with the British Council. They form part of Darwin Now, a global initiative celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution continue to have on today’s world. © British Council 2009.

How did Darwin gather data for his work? What do his surviving letters reveal about him, both as a man and as a scientist? He often seems like a solitary figure, but was this really the case? This album looks at the Darwin Correspondence project, an enormous endeavour that has been running for over thirty years. Today the project web site contains over five thousand letters, and there are plans to more than double that number. Shelley Innes, a historian of science and Alison Pearn, the assistant director of the Darwin Correspondence project, talk about the letters and how in particular they offer great insights into Darwin the man and Darwin the collaborator.

The tracks on this album were produced by The Open University in collaboration with the British Council. They form part of Darwin Now, a global initiative celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution continue to have on today’s world. © British Council 2009.