The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week cover image

The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

Eating The Rich, Menopausal Chimps, Darwin's Taxidermy Teacher

Dec 6, 2023
01:00:46
Snipd AI
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.
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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.

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