<description>&lt;p&gt;Take the Cautionary Tales listener survey here: &lt;a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HCHGGZ3" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HCHGGZ3&amp;amp;source=gmail&amp;amp;ust=1729884952533000&amp;amp;usg=AOvVaw3ELlG6ziHuuJhKEdquu7Wg"&gt;https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HCHGGZ3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Charles Darwin was stumped by peacocks. According to his theory of evolution, some creatures were better equipped to survive in their particular environment than others. It explained a lot - but it didn't explain the peacock's brightly coloured tail feathers, which were extravagant and cumbersome. Surely such plumage made it &lt;em&gt;harder &lt;/em&gt;for peacocks to survive?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;It so happens that the life of Darwin's own grandfather offered clues to the puzzle of the peacock's tail - if only he'd known to look there...&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;For a full list of sources, see the show notes at &lt;a href="http://timharford.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://timharford.com/&amp;amp;source=gmail&amp;amp;ust=1731001488462000&amp;amp;usg=AOvVaw182hvri6RSP21OX-dN1nYc"&gt;timharford.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See &lt;a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener"&gt;omnystudio.com/listener&lt;/a&gt; for privacy information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

Pushkin Industries

Darwin's Grandpa and the Art of Sex Appeal

NOV 8, 202440 MIN
Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

Darwin's Grandpa and the Art of Sex Appeal

NOV 8, 202440 MIN

Description

Take the Cautionary Tales listener survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HCHGGZ3

Charles Darwin was stumped by peacocks. According to his theory of evolution, some creatures were better equipped to survive in their particular environment than others. It explained a lot - but it didn't explain the peacock's brightly coloured tail feathers, which were extravagant and cumbersome. Surely such plumage made it harder for peacocks to survive?

It so happens that the life of Darwin's own grandfather offered clues to the puzzle of the peacock's tail - if only he'd known to look there...

For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.