Darwin Now: The Open University and British Council

Find out how Darwin’s scientific legacy is being carried forward in this year of the bicentenary of his birth.

Genes provide a powerful record of our evolutionary past. Living things even share a genetic toolkit that can generate a breathtaking diversity of body forms. Can DNA also offer clues to what makes us uniquely human?

What can evolution tell us about falling birth rates, the menopause or the role of parents in childcare? Biological anthropologist Ruth Mace highlights the interplay between biology and culture in evolving family structures.

Do languages evolve in the same way as species do in nature? If so, how can evolutionary biologists shed light on the study of language diversity?

If only the fittest survive in nature, you might expect the world to be taken over by a small number of rampant species. So why, instead of dull monotony, are we faced with infinite variety?

How has the worldwide audience reacted to Darwin’s theory of evolution ? And now that his works are coming online, what has been the impact of Darwin’s going digital?

Darwin was arguably the scientific social networker of his day. Explore the web that he spun through his lifetime correspondence across the world.

How do you propose a radical theory without sacrificing your reputation? Professor Jim Moore explores the social and scientific context in which Darwin developed his ideas.

Professor Steve Jones reflects on how well Darwin’s ground-breaking theory of evolution has stood the test of time. Fern Elsdon Baker outlines the global scope of activities in the British Council’s Darwin Now project.