Reason with Science

This episode is with Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo, whose research sheds light on one of the most fundamental transitions in the history of life—the evolution of multicellularity. Iñaki is a group leader at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Barcelona, where he investigates how unicellular organisms gave rise to complex multicellular life. Our conversation explores the deep evolutionary forces that shaped this transition, the role of cooperation and cell differentiation, and what studying the ancestors of animals can teach us about life’s complexity. We also discuss broader questions about biological organization, individuality, and the very nature of what it means to be a multicellular being.

Guests info:

Website: https://multicellgenome.com/

X: https://x.com/multicellgenome

Episode links:

Website: https://www.reasonwithscience.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReasonwithScience

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5qFLGsPWjL4GAGidmF2nKh

Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reason-with-science/id1641776894

YouTube music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLila1Jm-QEwKu4xXtNpYFAsSDmPR9mlZB&si=5ehXeZhZ-z181G5b

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:00:20 - Evolution of multicellularity with Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo

00:02:54 - Why compare animals with unicellular relatives?

00:05:11 - What defines multicellularity?

00:09:07 - Studying unicellular ancestors of animals

00:14:19 - Convergent vs. homologous evolution

00:22:26 - Why did multicellularity evolve?

00:27:53 - What did the first animals look like?

00:30:55 - Bilateral symmetry and its impact

00:33:27 - Predation, competition, and cooperation in evolution

00:39:09 - Comparing different multicellular lineages

00:52:22 - Searching for new unicellular relatives

01:03:30 - Experimenting with multicellular growth

01:07:08 - Can we fully understand the origin of animals?

01:09:47 - Closing remarks

This episode is with Kevin Mitchell. He is an associate professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, where he investigates how genetic variations influence neural wiring, cognition, and conditions like autism and schizophrenia. Kevin is also the author of Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are and Free Agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free Will. Here, we discuss the laws of biology and the nature of free will. Kevin also shares insights on agency as a defining feature of life, the meaning of self, and the evolution of perception.

Guests info:

Website: https://www.kjmitchell.com/

X: https://x.com/WiringTheBrain

Episode links:

Website: https://reasonwithscience.com/genetic-and-the-brain-with-kevin-mitchell

Youtube: https://youtu.be/eOyNWCjBuQc?si=Nz09vBN0mCFN8nuF

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4HVcFuG48HLu4T92aXflLM?si=a68eee4f113e4aee

Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/genetics-and-the-brain-with-kevin-mitchell/id1641776894?i=1000692566036

YouTube music: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=eOyNWCjBuQc&si=AMWPfTZthe8zS5tE

Follow Reason with Science:

Website: https://www.reasonwithscience.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReasonwithScience

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5qFLGsPWjL4GAGidmF2nKh

Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reason-with-science/id1641776894

YouTube music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLila1Jm-QEwKu4xXtNpYFAsSDmPR9mlZB&si=5ehXeZhZ-z181G5b

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:55 Biology vs. Chemistry and Physics

00:04:02 Reductionism in Science

00:16:09 Emergence and Evolution

00:26:59 Free Will Discussion

00:41:42 Cognition and System Irreducibility

00:44:03 Genetics and Psychological Predispositions

00:55:17 Complexity of Interactions

01:04:39 Engineering Free Will

01:07:38 Social Impacts of Free Will

01:11:53 Long-term Free Will and Decisions

This episode is with Michael Levin and William RatCliff. Mike is a Professor in the Biology department at Tufts University. He is a pioneer in the study of bioelectricity, regeneration, and morphogenesis. Will is a Professor in the School of Biological Science at Georgia Tech. He is a leading expert in the study of how single-celled organisms evolved into complex multicellular life forms. Here, we talk about how cells cooperate, evolve, and build the diversity of life we see today. Specifically, we discuss about evolution of multicellularity, the role of bioelectricity in evolution, and the emergence of regeneration.

Guests info:

William RatCliff-Website: https://ratclifflab.biosci.gatech.edu/

X: https://x.com/wc_ratcliff

Michael Levin-Website: https://www.drmichaellevin.org/

X: https://x.com/drmichaellevin

Episode links:

Website: Youtube: https://youtu.be/NULzvSGpmvE?si=qMjfKNyMzKrUmdRmSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/46y8cCFsbzMKRnC1urghVQ?si=E3tDRUojTPOrIsBHDqcusgApple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-biology-works-with-michael-levin-and-william/id1641776894?i=1000690266570YouTube music: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=NULzvSGpmvE&si=Fi1CksVMCBDPe9nv

Follow Reason with Science:

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.reasonwithscience.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@ReasonwithScience

Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5qFLGsPWjL4GAGidmF2nKh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Apple podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reason-with-science/id1641776894 ⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLila1Jm-QEwKu4xXtNpYFAsSDmPR9mlZB&si=5ehXeZhZ-z181G5b

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:04:06 How do you picture a cell?

00:12:56

00:15:37 What is multicellularity?

00:25:58 Why can’t unicellular or early multicellular organisms communicate over long distances?

00:31:10 Cells as colonial organisms—how do they coordinate with identical genomes?

00:48:11 Introducing snowflakes

01:14:36 How does cellular specialization happen, and what makes it unique?

01:16:34 Can different experimental conditions lead to new types of specialization?

01:33:25 What drives cellular specialization?

01:34:46 What happens at the cellular level in diseases like cancer?

01:43:52 How do you view aging from a cellular perspective?

More on Reason with Science:

1) Chemistry of life and death | Nick Lane | Reason with Science | Origin of life | Biochemistry (https://youtu.be/YolIkk_oJdI)

2) Collective intelligence of cells | Michael Levin | Reason with science | Bioelectricity | Biology (https://youtu.be/yFNWuHOtM1w) #reasonwithscience #biology #evolution

In this episode, we talk with cognitive scientist Hugo Mercier about the fascinating topic of reasoning - what it is, how it works, and why it matters. Hugo is a co-author of The Enigma of Reason (with Dan Sperber) and author of Not Born Yesterday. Here, we discuss why reason evolved, the good and bad sides of reasoning, and how our biases - like confirmation bias and motivated reasoning - affect us. Hugo helps us unpack ideas like the argumentative theory of reasoning, the dual-process theory, and whether reasoning is better for competition or collaboration. Plus, we explore how to fight misinformation, train our reasoning abilities, and embrace intellectual humility.

Guest info:

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/hugomercier/

X: https://x.com/hugoreasoning?lang=en

Google scholar: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=hugo+mercier&btnG=

Episode links:

Website: https://reasonwithscience.com/reason-and-scientific-method-with-hugo-mercier

Youtube: https://youtu.be/SJUoyZKGPIc?si=-lsc5R2BuVBBQIj0

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1k5xiHUJsahSsGJCS33f00?si=9421bc7b341d436f

Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reason-and-scientific-method-hugo-mercier-reason/id1641776894?i=1000686324801

YouTube music: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=SJUoyZKGPIc&si=LL0RrAovldZgQV_i

Follow Reason with Science:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.reasonwithscience.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@ReasonwithScience

Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5qFLGsPWjL4GAGidmF2nKh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Apple podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reason-with-science/id1641776894 ⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLila1Jm-QEwKu4xXtNpYFAsSDmPR9mlZB&si=5ehXeZhZ-z181G5b

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:36 What's your understanding of reason?

00:05:37 What about science?

00:08:10 Can we say that reason is an evolved property of evolution?

00:12:50 Can using the scientific method lead to better reasoning?

00:30:30 Does the role of language play an important part in understanding how reason works?

00:33:40 Do you think cooperation is the key to the evolution of reasoning?

00:35:12 What characteristics make reason evolve?

00:37:45 If cooperation is key, why does reason misfire?

00:39:40 What do you think about rationality? Is it another special form of reasoning?

00:42:45 Are there different processes, like unconscious and conscious levels, that matter when it comes to reasoning?

00:51:55 Can reasoning be trained?

00:56:34 What do you think about misinformation, and how is it linked to education?

01:05:10 What is the difference between information and misinformation?

01:08:48 Does the type of media matter?

More on Reason with Science:

1) Chemistry of life and death | Nick Lane | Reason with Science | Origin of life | Biochemistry (https://youtu.be/YolIkk_oJdI)

2) Collective intelligence of cells | Michael Levin | Reason with science | Bioelectricity | Biology (https://youtu.be/yFNWuHOtM1w)

3) Powering the complexity of life with Michael Levin and Nick Lane | Reason with Science | Biology (https://youtu.be/GBxVvLVzF68)

4) How multicellularity evolves | William Ratcliff | Reason with Science | Origin and evolution of life (https://youtu.be/HOrNrg2H5Ok)

5) The evolutionary origins of a good society | Nicholas Christakis | Reason with Science | Psychology (https://youtu.be/61-cE2z-aWI)

6) Food for your health | Dr. Robert Lustig | Reason with Science | Sugar | Diets | Healthy Lifestyle (https://youtu.be/JD4yPgnqv4M?si=3R68UDTRfW_lV5Pw)

This episode is with Kerstin Göpfrich. She is a leading researcher in the field of synthetic biology with experties in biophysics, DNA nanotechnology. and microfluidics. She leads the max plank research group of biophysical engineering at the max plank Institute for medical research in Heidleberg. Her research centers on utilizing DNA origami, a versatile technique that employs DNA molecules to construct three-dimensional components for synthetic cells. In this conversation we talk about can we create life in the lab, synthetic cells, advantages of using DNA origami in creating synthetic cells, applications, and the future of artificial cells.

Guest info:

Episode links:

Follow Reason with Science:

Timestamps:

More on Reason with Science:

#reasonwithscience #engineering #biology

This episode is with Steven Austad. He is the Protective Life Endowed Chair in Health Aging Research, a Distinguished professor and Chair of the Department of Biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Steven has been at the forefront of unraveling the mysteries of why some individuals live longer and healthier lives than others. His work covers a diverse array of topics, from the cellular mechanisms of aging to the evolutionary aspects of longevity in various species. In this conversation we talk about what is ageing?, biggest challenges in the field of ageing, evolutionary aspects of ageing, chronic illnesses and how to increase human life span?

Guest info:

Follow Reason with Science:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.reasonwithscience.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/reasonwithscience⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5qFLGsPWjL4GAGidmF2nKh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Apple podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reason-with-science/id1641776894 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Google podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iMjMyNDZlOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

Timestamps:

More on Reason with Science:

This episode is with Enrico Coen. He is a plant biologist and geneticist at John Innes Centre. Enrico's work has focused on unraveling the intricate genetic and molecular mechanisms that govern the formation and growth of plants. He is the author of two books, namely, 'Cells to civilizations' and 'Art of genes'.

In this conversation we talk about major transitions in biology, emergence of complexity, evolution of life, drivers of evolution, evolution of brains, Intelligence and science.

Guest info:

Episode links:

Follow Reason with Science:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.reasonwithscience.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/reasonwithscience⁠⁠⁠⁠

Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5qFLGsPWjL4GAGidmF2nKh⁠⁠⁠⁠

Apple podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reason-with-science/id1641776894 ⁠⁠⁠⁠

Google podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iMjMyNDZlOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Introduction 

00:01:04 Major transformations of life 

00:14:12 What is science and how it works? 

00:16:22 Can science help us to study fundamental nature of reality? 

00:30:07 Do we need an absolutist view of science? 

00:37:14 What are the commonalities between evolution, development, culture and learning? 

00:44:32 Role of parasites in the evolution of life 

00:47:49 Survival of the fittest 

00:53:07 Natural selection at the level of replicators 

00:58:46 Level at which evolution works (genes or cells) 

01:09:47 Concept of memes 

01:16:00 Why religion has been successful? 

01:25:45 Crucial elements of scientific method 

01:32:50 Importance of self-doubt 

01:36:10 Covid-19 pandemic and science 

01:40:00 Science and art 

01:48:09 Future writing 

01:50:12 Thank you!

This episode is with John Bargh. He is a social psychologist at Yale University. John's work has shed light on the intricate workings of the human mind, delving into topics such as priming, automaticity, and the power of the unconscious. His research has challenged conventional notions, revealing how subtle cues and environmental factors can shape our perceptions,decisions, and actions.

In this conversation we talk about unconscious mind, priming effects, evolution of consciousness, unconscious biases, and can we train our unconscious?

Guest info:

Website: https://acmelab.yale.edu/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Books-John-Bargh/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AJohn+Bargh

Google scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xueSKyQAAAAJ&hl=en

Episode links:

Follow Reason with Science:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.reasonwithscience.com/⁠⁠⁠

Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/reasonwithscience⁠⁠⁠

Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5qFLGsPWjL4GAGidmF2nKh⁠⁠⁠

Apple podcast: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reason-with-science/id1641776894 ⁠⁠⁠

Google podcast:⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iMjMyNDZlOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw ⁠⁠⁠

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:46 Early career

00:04:10 Hard problem of consciousness

00:10:33 Unconscious mind and it's role in our behavior

00:17:57 Distinction between conscious and unconscious mind

00:20:40 Hot and Cold experiments

00:29:56 Priming effects

00:30:40 Global effects of priming

00:34:05 Goal priming

00:39:40 Trust priming for the idiologies

00:55:45 Cultural priming

00:58:31 Priming effects through Social media

01:07:50 Evolution of conscious and unconscious mind

01:15:00 Examples of conscious and unconscious activities

01:17:46 Evolution of unconscious mind in other species

01:20:50 Consciousness in other species

01:24:00 Can we train our unconscious mind?

01:27:24 Effects of multi-tasking

01:34:00 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

01:36:03 Unconscious biases

01:42:02 Next book

01:45:12 Thank You!

This episode is with Michael Russell. He is geologist who works on the origin of life. Mike is an originator of the theory that life emerged at alkaline submarine hydrothermal vents. In this conversation we talk about topics related to origin of life, hydrothermal vents, alien life, artificial life, and are there new life forms emerging now?

Guest info:

Website: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/directory/russell-michael/

Episode links:

Follow Reason with Science:

Website: ⁠⁠https://www.reasonwithscience.com/⁠⁠

Youtube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/reasonwithscience⁠⁠

Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5qFLGsPWjL4GAGidmF2nKh⁠⁠

Apple podcast: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reason-with-science/id1641776894 ⁠⁠

Google podcast:⁠⁠ https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iMjMyNDZlOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw ⁠⁠

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:49 What are the most interesting aspects of life?

00:04:02 Beginning of space-time

00:08:42 Dawn of chemistry

00:11:47 Progress in science

00:16:37 Discovery of hydrothermal vents for emergence of life

00:28:12 How the submarine alkaline vents were discovered?

00:37:06 Early earth conditions for the origin of life

00:44:22 Major issues to explain orgin of life

00:49:45 Composition of green rust

00:52:07 Disagreement on engines of hydrothermal vents

00:54:15 Can we link origin of metabolism at hydrothermal vents with the information?

00:56:22 Next step after origin of metabolism

00:59:22 Membranes and viruses

01:02:34 Did protocells escape hydrothermal vents?

01:08:47 Did LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor) evolve in hydrothermal vents?

01:18:56 Creating an artificial hydrothermal vents

01:29:00 Thank you!

This episode is with Lee Cronin. He is the Regius Chair of Chemistry in the School of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow. He and his team are trying to make artificial life forms, find alien life, explore the digitization of chemistry, understand how information can be encoded into chemicals and construct chemical computers. In this conversation we talk about topics related to origin of life, framework to build life from inorganic material, assembly theory, Darwinian evolution, and alien life.

Guest info:

Website: https://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/cronin/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leecronin?s=20

Episode links:

Follow Reason with Science:

Website: ⁠https://www.reasonwithscience.com/⁠

Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/reasonwithscience⁠

Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5qFLGsPWjL4GAGidmF2nKh⁠

Apple podcast: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reason-with-science/id1641776894 ⁠

Google podcast:⁠ https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iMjMyNDZlOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw ⁠

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:59 Lee's point of view of origin of life research

00:02:24 Are there different scales in chemistry of origin of life?

00:04:01 Framework to build life

00:06:57 Theory of life

00:12:06 Can darwinian evolution works beyond at the chemical level?

00:15:59 Fundamental level of selection

00:22:04 Memories of compounds

00:22:42 Assembly theory

00:24:51 Multiverse

00:28:05 Why haven't we managed to build life so far?

00:31:33 How to use automation to build life?

00:36:33 What is essence of life?

00:39:03 Why do we have life only on earth in our solar system?

00:39:33 Experiment to build life

00:40:33 What will be the information of artificial life?

00:41:19 Chemputer

00:44:38 3D printing life forms

00:49:07 How to identify alien life?

00:50:22 Explanation of assembly theory

00:54:22 How to differentiate alien organic or inorganic matter?

00:58:12 Selection at artificial cells

01:02:45 Thank you!