What’s in Charles Darwin’s Jars? Scientists Solve a 200-Year-Old Museum Mystery

Laser spectroscopy has enabled non-invasive chemical analysis of Darwin’s preserved specimens, improving long-term museum conservation. Researchers have carried out a detailed analysis of Charles Darwin’s original specimens from his HMS Beagle voyage (1831 to 1836) to the Galapagos Islands, using a method that does not require opening their centuries-old jars. In an important step for [...]