Revolutionary! Why was 1700s France such a fertile time for science? - podcast

Steve Jones on science at the time of the French revolution - and why scientists were among the first to be sent to the guillotine

Paris circa. 1789 saw the first lightning conductor, the first flight, the first estimate of the speed of light, and the invention of the tin can and the stethoscope. The metre replaced the yard and the theory of evolution came into being.

In his new book No Need For Geniuses, Steve Jones explores the discoveries that were made over 200 years ago and brings them bang up to date.