New show will lift the lid on history’s most celebrated scientists

Sir David Attenborough and Professor Brian Cox will unite on screen for the first time in a new show delving into the stories of history’s most significant scientists.

The acclaimed naturalist and the physicist will discuss the legacy of Charles Darwin, from his “absolutely mad obsession with collecting beetles” to extracts from his legendary 1859 scientific tome On The Origin Of Species.

Sir David, pictured, explains his admiration for the famed explorer’s book that shares “argument and observation” rather than “jargon”.

As the six-part BBC iPlayer series People Of Science continues, Cox will meet Royal Society Fellows Bill Bryson, Dame Uta Frith, Sir David Spiegelhalter, Dame Julia Higgins and Dame Sally Davies as they explore the organisation’s archives and introduce viewers to their favourite historical figures in the field.

Cox, who is professor for public engagement in science at the Royal Society, said: “People Of Science opens up a treasure trove of archival riches and tales of scientists from the past.

“For me, and I hope for the audience, these films deliver a rare insight into the people behind some of the world’s greatest scientific discoveries.”

The Royal Society’s head of library and centre for history Keith Moore said: “We love to look behind the steel doors of the Royal Society’s archives and what better way to do it than by having flesh-and-blood scientists tell the very human stories of their great predecessors.”

The Royal Society’s People Of Science series will be available on BBC iPlayer from today.