Darwin’s Brave New World
Episode 1 - Origins
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What was Darwin’s role on the Beagle?
When did Darwin reach the Galapagos Islands?
In Darwin’s time, what standard belief dominated science?
Why had God placed 2 species that looked or acted the same way in 2 different places?
Describe how Darwin “began parting company with God”.
What did Darwin notice about the corals when on the Cocos Keeling Islands?
What role did the leading naturalists in Darwin’s day also have in society?
With the evidence of the finches, what theory did Darwin’s finches allow him to fully understand?
Most people believed that human beings were God’s special creation. What was the common view about humans
in Darwin’s time?
Episode 2 - Evolution
10. How was the Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation similar to Darwin’s theory of evolution? How was it
different?
11. What was clergy’s view of Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation?
12. Why did Joseph Hooker think that Darwin may have a credibility issue with other scientists?
13. What organism did Charles Darwin decide to study intensely to help prove his theory of natural selection?
14. How does Huxley transform Darwin’s fortunes?
15. What is one way that Wallace is different from Darwin and Hooker and Huxley?
16. Why did Darwin finally decide to publish his thoughts?
17. What is the domestic version of Darwin’s theory of natural selection?
Episode 3 – Publish and Be Damned
18. How did Lyle, Hooker and Huxley bring about the publishing of On the Origin of the Species? What was their plan
to get Darwin credit for his theory on natural selection and not Wallace?
19. Why were Lyle and Hooker in such a hurry to get a public reading of Darwin’s work?
20. What was at the heart of Darwin’s book that was to be published in the Linnean paper?
21. According to Darwin, what happens to individuals in a world where there is competition?
22. How does Darwin explain how similar animals got to different places on Earth without using God in his
explanation?
23. When did Darwin finish On the Origin of Species?
24. Why did Darwin only mention humans at the end of his book?
25. What did Darwin’s book cause the Victorian people to debate?
26. Did Hooker and Huxley support Darwin once they read On the Origin of Species?
27. What doubts still remained regarding natural selection?
28. In what year was the theory of natural selection embraced throughout the world?