Why are we still interested in Charles Darwin, 200 years after his birth? Are his theories still as relevant? And what celebrations are planned for his anniversary? This album provides a solid introduction to Charles Darwin's groundbreaking theory of evolution. The geneticist Steve Jones and the historian Fern Elsdon-Baker explain and comment on Darwin's theoretical approach, and explore how evolutionary theory is relevant to modern environmental concerns and recent developments in genetics. Fern Elsdon Baker introduces the Darwin Now project and discusses some of the events which are planned for 2009. But in the midst of the all the adulation, Steve Jones sounds a note of warning, musing if at some stage in the future, Darwin will be eclipsed by new theorists, with a very different approach to evolution.

The tracks on this album were produced by The Open University in collaboration with the British Council. They form part of Darwin Now, a global initiative celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution continue to have on today’s world. © The British Council 2009.