S5.03 On Growth and Form: The extraordinary life and work of D'Arcy Thompson
Hello, and welcome to Genetics Unzipped - the Genetics Society podcast, with me, Dr Kat Arney. In this episode we’re exploring the life and work of D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson - one of the first scientists to bring together the worlds of mathematics and biology in the quest to understand how living things are built.
We’re learning about the extraordinary life and work of Scottish biologist and mathematician, D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson. Thompson is perhaps best known for his 1917 book, “On Growth and Form” in which he showcased the value of applying mathematical thinking to living things, in particular how the laws of physics and maths affect the shapes we see in nature.
But D’Arcy Thompson has a far more interesting life story beyond just this one book. He was an eccentric and charismatic teacher and later in life took to walking around the streets of St Andrews with his pet parrot perched on his shoulder. I sat down with the curator of the University of Dundee’s D’Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum, Matthew Jarron, to find out more about this larger than life character…
Thanks to Matthew Jarron, curator of the University of Dundee’s D’Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum for sharing his story with us.
We’ll be back next time taking a look at the genetic history of the first people of the Americas - who they were, how they got there, and what their story can tell us about human evolution and identity.
For more information about this podcast including show notes, transcripts, links, references, music credits and everything else head over to geneticsunzipped.com You can find us on Twitter @geneticsunzip and please do take a moment to rate and review us on Apple podcasts - it really makes a difference and helps more people discover the show.
Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney. It is produced by First Create the Media for The Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. You can find out more and apply to join at genetics.org.uk. Our theme music was composed by Dan Pollard, and the logo was designed by James Mayall, and audio production was by Sally Le Page. Thanks for listening, and until next time, goodbye.
Image credits:
Illustrations from ‘On Growth and Form’ by D’Arcy Thompson, via Wikimedia
