
Description
Historian of science Simon Schaffer is interested in the purpose of beauty within evolutionary explanations. Taking the ideas of Charles Darwin as his starting point, he wants to know how and why t...he capacity to see beauty evolved and whether this powerful, fleeting and apparently most useless of attributes can really have an evolutionary explanation. Simon talks to neuroscientist and biologist Stephen Rose and film-maker and anthropologist Chris Wright about whether Darwin really can explain why he finds Mahler's 5th Symphony beautiful.This programme is part of a week of programmes looking at the history of ideas around Beauty
Historian of science Simon Schaffer is interested in the purpose of beauty within evolutionary explanations. Taking the ideas of Charles Darwin as his starting point, he wants to know how and why t...he capacity to see beauty evolved and whether this powerful, fleeting and apparently most useless of attributes can really have an evolutionary explanation. Simon talks to neuroscientist and biologist Stephen Rose and film-maker and anthropologist Chris Wright about whether Darwin really can explain why he finds Mahler's 5th Symphony beautiful.This programme is part of a week of programmes looking at the history of ideas around Beauty
Series: | A history of ideas |
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First transmission date: | 2014-11-20 |
Original broadcast channel: | BBC Radio 4 |
Published: | 2014 |
Rights Statement: | Rights owned or controlled by The Open University |
Restrictions on use: | This material can be used in accordance with The Open University conditions of use. A link to the conditions can be found at the bottom of all OU Digital Archive web pages. |
Duration: | 00:11:00 |
Note: | Radio 4 version |
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Producer: | Melvin Rickarby |
Presenter: | Simon Schaffer |
Contributors: | Simon Schaffer; Stephen Rose; Chris Wright |
Publisher: | BBC Open University |
Production number: | AUDA915B |
Available to public: | no |