AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week
Eating The Rich, Menopausal Chimps, Darwin's Taxidermy Teacher
Dec 6, 2023
Divya Anantharaman, expert on the history of taxidermy dating back to Charles Darwin, discusses the remarkable journey of John Edmundstone, an enslaved person who became a skilled taxidermist. The podcast also explores the rarity of menopause in chimpanzees, the power of matriarchal societies, the tragic story of Johann DeWitt, historical balloon riots triggered by wealth disparity, and the current trend of rich people going to space to avoid such incidents.
01:00:46
Episode guests
AI Summary
Highlights
AI Chapters
Episode notes
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Enslaved person John Edmundstone's expertise in taxidermy was crucial to Darwin's study of evolution.
- The violent killing and cannibalization of Johan de Witt reflected political rivalry and tensions in the Dutch Republic.
Deep dives
The Tragic Story of John Edmundstone and His Impact on Charles Darwin
John Edmundstone was an enslaved person who learned taxidermy from Charles Waterton and later taught the skill to Charles Darwin. His expertise in preserving bird specimens on the HMS Beagle was invaluable to Darwin's study of evolution.
Get the Snipd
podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any
moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share
& Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode