The late British biologist John Maynard Smith (1920-2004) is famous for applying game theory to the study of natural selection. At Eton College, inspired by the work of old Etonian JBS Haldane, Maynard Smith developed an interest in Darwinian evolutionary theory and mathematics. Then he entered University College London (UCL) to study fruit fly genetics under Haldane. In 1973 Maynard Smith formalised a central concept in game theory called the evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS). His ideas, presented in books such as 'Evolution and the Theory of Games', were enormously influential and led to a more rigorous scientific analysis and understanding of interactions between living things.

Title: James Watson and Francis Crick transformed biology

Listeners: Richard Dawkins

Tags: James Watson, Francis Crick, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, August Weismann, Peter Medawar

Duration: 43 seconds

Date story recorded: April 1997

Date story went live: 24 January 2008