Big Picture Science

You Say You Want an Evolution?


Listen Later

Imagine: Your pint-sized pup is descended from a line of predatory wolves. We have purposefully bred a new species – dogs – to live in harmony with us. But interactions between species, known as co-evolution, happen all the time, even without deliberate intervention. And it’s frequently a boon to survival: Without the symbiotic relationship we have with bugs in our gut, one that’s evolved with time, we wouldn’t exist.

Discover the Bogart-and-Bacall-like relationships between bacteria and humans, and what we learn by seeing genes mutate in the lab, real time. Also, the dog-eat-dog debate about when canines were first domesticated, and how agriculture, hip-hop music, and technology can alter our DNA (eventually).

Plus, why some of the fastest humans in history have hailed from one small area of a small Caribbean island. Is there a gene for that?

Guests:

  • Greger Larsen – Evolutionary biologist, department of archaeology, Durham University
  • Peter Richerson – Professor emeritus, University of California, Davis, department of Environmental Science and Policy, author of Not by Genes Alone: How Culture Transformed Human Evolution
  • Dave van Ditmarsch – Biologist, post-doctoral researcher, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
  • David Epstein – Senior writer, Sports Illustrated, author of The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance

    Descripción en español

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Big Picture ScienceBy Big Picture Science

    • 4.5
    • 4.5
    • 4.5
    • 4.5
    • 4.5

    4.5

    899 ratings


    More shows like Big Picture Science

    View all
    Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

    Science Friday

    6,133 Listeners

    The Deadpod by J.Henrikson

    The Deadpod

    1,207 Listeners

    Nature Podcast by Springer Nature Limited

    Nature Podcast

    756 Listeners

    Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science by The Planetary Society

    Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

    1,345 Listeners

    Science Magazine Podcast by Science Magazine

    Science Magazine Podcast

    811 Listeners

    Science Quickly by Scientific American

    Science Quickly

    612 Listeners

    Radio Detective Story Hour by Dennis Humphrey

    Radio Detective Story Hour

    393 Listeners

    Common Sense with Dan Carlin by Dan Carlin

    Common Sense with Dan Carlin

    11,326 Listeners

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History by Dan Carlin

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

    63,522 Listeners

    Astronomy Cast by Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay

    Astronomy Cast

    2,866 Listeners

    Meditation Oasis by Mary and Richard Maddux

    Meditation Oasis

    3,922 Listeners

    Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, MD: Neuroscience for Everyone by Ginger Campbell, MD

    Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, MD: Neuroscience for Everyone

    817 Listeners

    Philosophy Bites by Edmonds and Warburton

    Philosophy Bites

    1,532 Listeners

    Science In Action by BBC World Service

    Science In Action

    344 Listeners

    Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

    Unexpected Elements

    355 Listeners

    Universe Today Podcast by Fraser Cain

    Universe Today Podcast

    544 Listeners

    Ask a Spaceman! by Paul M. Sutter

    Ask a Spaceman!

    804 Listeners

    The Quanta Podcast by Quanta Magazine

    The Quanta Podcast

    499 Listeners

    SpaceTime: Your Guide to Space & Astronomy by Stuart Gary

    SpaceTime: Your Guide to Space & Astronomy

    320 Listeners

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Addendum by Dan Carlin

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Addendum

    8,234 Listeners

    Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe by iHeartPodcasts

    Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

    2,307 Listeners

    The Supermassive Podcast by The Royal Astronomical Society

    The Supermassive Podcast

    287 Listeners

    Why This Universe? by Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman

    Why This Universe?

    363 Listeners