At the dawn of European exploration, the Renaissance polymath Francis Bacon dreamed of resurrecting the Garden of Eden. Driving this vision was a relentless quest to fully understand—and catalog—God's created order.

GuestsLorraine Daston, Max Planck Institute for the History of ScienceAnn Blair, Harvard UniversityRebecca Bushnell, University of PennsylvaniaStaffan Müller-Wille, University of CambridgeJames Rosindell, Imperial College LondonAmy Tigner, University of Texas at ArlingtonLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices