3. Tip of the Ice Age
Louis Agassiz was a professor at Harvard University in the 19th century. He originally became famous for his work proving ice ages existed. But when he arrived to teach at Harvard, his work took a turn and he began promoting the idea of polygenism — a theory used to justify racism.
Louis Agassiz was a professor at Harvard University in the 19th century. He originally became famous for his work proving ice ages existed. But when he arrived to teach at Harvard, his work took a turn and he began promoting the idea of polygenism — a theory used to justify racism.
In this episode, we delve into how the Harvard name and platform allowed pseudoscience to spread, and the legacy that Louis Agassiz left on our campus to this day.
Further information:
- “Louis Agassiz, Under a Microscope” by Saima S. Iqbal
- Louis Agassiz: Creator of American Science by Cristoph Irmscher
- Black Lives Matter - Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology