Robert Downey Jr., who stars in the new movie “Sherlock Holmes,” is the latest actor to take on this iconic role. Guy Ritchie, the film’s director, says Holmes’ persona is an even divide between enigma and accessibility. WNYC’s Sarah Montague traces the character’s evolution and reveals how Holmes keeps changing to suit the times.
He was the godfather of science writing. Sir Thomas Browne’s exacting observations and gorgeous prose anticipated modern science writers like Rachel Carson, Stephen Jay Gould, and Oliver Sacks. But Browne lived in the 1600s, and his way of reconciling the scriptures with science looks surprisingly like what we call “intelligent design.” Produced by Sarah Montague […]