Carl Linnaeus and the Lapland Expedition That Changed Biology

In 1732, a young Swedish botanist named Carl Linnaeus set off on a solo expedition to the far north of Sweden — a journey that would take him through the wilderness of Lapland, introduce him to Sami culture, and lay the groundwork for the system of scientific classification we still use today. This episode explores Linnaeus's early life, his grueling 2,000-kilometer trek, how he documented plants and animals with a revolutionary naming method, and the lasting impact of his work on biology, empire, and national identity. We also touch on the uncomfortable racial theories that accompanied his taxonomy. Along the way, we meet his globe-trotting students who spread his ideas worldwide, and reflect on how Sweden's post-empire intellectual flowering shaped modern science. A story of curiosity, classification, and the natural world.

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