Outrageous History!

The last man who might know all there is to be known

August 01, 2022 Ernest Granson Season 2 Episode 3
Outrageous History!
The last man who might know all there is to be known
Show Notes

Could there be such a person? That is how scientist J.B.S. Haldane has been described. He is credited with laying the foundations of genetics but his knowledge spanned far beyond that and until he passed away he constantly strove to inform the public about all aspects of science. Some of his knowledge he gained through self-experimentation, for instance, drinking hydrochloric acid and breathing in carbon dioxide.  But it wasn't science alone for which he was known. As an avowed British Communist Party member and buoyed by his bulldog-like personality, Haldane stirred up controversy as he publicly skewered British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain for his attempts to placate Adolph Hitler. Join Ernest Granson as he discusses Haldane's amazing life and career with journalist Samanth Subramanian, and author of "A Dominant Character - The Radical Science and Restless Politics of J.B.S. Haldane".