[We are carrying over this book from the previous unit to use here as one of two chief sources for Essay #2 along with von Baeyer, Warmth Disperses, Time Passes]

Darwin's Ghosts by Rebecca Stott

In Darwin's Ghosts Rebecca Stott explores the how, when, where, what and why that individuals across the centuries and in different parts of the globe wrangled with the question of whether the living parts of our globe have remained the saw for all time or whether they have undergone changes through some manner or another. The biggest question to think about are the circumstances that encouraged such thinking (often with negative consequences) and how it persisted despite not developing in a linear manner with one person passing it on to another, as there were often long gaps. In a manner of speaking, it is a book about the fit between traits and ecosystems, and the ways in which ideas propagate. This will also allow us to see Charles Darwin's engagement with evolutionary theory as part of a wider conversation, and compare and contrast his world with the others that Stott discusses in her book.

Here are some questions that are raised by what happens in the work and lives that Stott brings to our attention:

1. As you read along, which of these individuals did you find the most interesting? Which time period did you find to be the most intriguing? Who do you think asked the best questions about the nature of life on Earth? Who would you have liked to have studied with as a student, or pursued questions about nature with as a colleague?

2. Many of the individuals discussed in the book were inhabitants of large cities -- Athens, Basra, Paris, Cairo, and so on. What makes large cities such good incubators of fresh thinking?

3. In what ways were these scientific figures equipped through training to ask the questions they did? In what ways did they receive support -- and denied support from institutions and people with power?

4. Why do you think that many of these figures are so little-known today?

5. As the book moves more closely in time to Charles Darwin (1809-1882), what do you think his closest predecessors would have suggested that he should do to solve the questions he was asking?