A closer look

William Dampier was a ruthless 17th-century buccaneer who violently plundered Spanish galleons, but he was also a massive science nerd. In between looting coastal towns, he would sit on the deck of his pirate ship meticulously recording wind currents, animal behaviors, and botanical specimens. His travel journals were so accurate they heavily influenced Charles Darwin, proving you can be a total maritime criminal and still get published by the Royal Society.