One of my favourite broadcasters on the history of science, Lisa Jardine, happens to be the daughter of Jacob Bronowski, one of the strongest intellectual influences on my teenage years. One of my teachers diagnosed correctly that I wanted to be another Bronowski. I haven’t managed that but my adoration continues. Yesterday I found myself dipping once again into the Ascent of Man. Today I came across a sound file of a recent lecture given by Lisa Jardine, ‘Things I never knew about my Father‘, talking about discovering her father’s secret dossier held by military intelligence during World War II. Fascinating and disturbing stuff.
I used to love Bronowski on first radio and then TV when I was growing up. I now love listening to Lisa Jardine. And I’m not a scientist.