logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2023
10m 56s

Seriously...what IS life?

NPR
About this episode
In this Back To School episode we consider the "List of Life": the criteria that define what it is to be a living thing. Some are easy calls: A kitten is alive. A grain of salt is not. But what about the tricky cases, like a virus? Or, more importantly, what about futuristic android robots? As part of our Black History Month celebration, developmental biologist Crystal Rogers and scientist-in-residence Regina G. Barber dig into what makes something alive, and wade into a Star-Trek-themed debate.

Is there something you'd like us to cover in our Back To School series? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Berly McCoy, edited by Gabriel Spitzer and fact-checked by Anil Oza. The audio engineer was Josh Newell.


Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Oct 10
Why The Tropics Have A Weather Forecasting Problem
Weather in the tropics is decidedly different than it is in the middle latitudes. It turns out, so are the weather systems – the factors that create things like the daily temperature and humidity! Historically, most weather forecasting models have been based on data from high-inc ... Show More
14m 7s
Oct 8
Doing Science at the Edge of the Earth
Some scientific discoveries take place in a lab. Others are made deep in the rainforest, along the ocean floor or on the dark side of the moon. And still others are made squelching through mud and ice on the northernmost island on Earth… at least, if you’re NPR climate correspond ... Show More
13m 15s
Oct 7
Solved: The Potato Origin Mystery
Usually, when two different species mate, it’s a disaster. At least, that’s what scientists had generally thought about hybrids, the offspring of these unions. But some researchers are starting to change their view as they learn of more beneficial hybrid events. The Atlantic scie ... Show More
12m 27s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2020
What is Life?
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by comedians Jo Brand and Ross Noble, alongside Nobel Prize winner Sir Paul Nurse and geneticist Prof Aoife McLysaght to ask the biggest question of all, what is life and how did it start? They look at the amazing feat of nature that has someho ... Show More
28 m
Jun 2022
What Is Life?
Scientists don’t really agree on a definition for life. We may recognize life instinctively most of the time, but any time we try to nail it down with set criteria, some stubborn counterexample spoils the effort. Still, can we really search for life on other worlds, or understand ... Show More
41m 58s
Apr 2024
Is Earth alive?
A cell is alive. So is a leaf and so is a tree. But what about the forest they’re a part of? Is that forest alive? And what about the planet that forest grows on? Is Earth alive? Science writer Ferris Jabr says: Yes.For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainableIt’s a great place t ... Show More
28m 1s
Apr 2021
ANNONCE: Posez-nous vos questions de science, on en fera un épisode
Un virus est-il vivant ? Pourra-t-on un jour remonter dans le temps? Les animaux ont-ils des sentiments? Il n'y a pas de question bête, que des questions de bonne science.Santé, espace, physique... Ne gardez plus vos questions pour vous! Prenez votre plus belle voix et posez-les ... Show More
1m 27s
Feb 2020
Teaser: This is What If, discussed.
We ask some of the world’s top thinkers in science, astronomy, technology, academia and futurism to ponder some of our most popular What If videos. What If half the Earth’s population was wiped out? What If you fell into a pool of liquid nitrogen? What If we lived in a Galactic Z ... Show More
14m 6s
Jan 2024
OSIRIS-REx: The space mission to find the origins of life
Why did life happen on Earth? And how did it begin? Even the world’s most advanced space scientists still don’t fully understand these questions, but a mission by NASA called OSIRIS-REx hopes to fill in the missing chapters from Earth’s origin story. The spacecraft traveled billi ... Show More
20m 27s
Mar 2023
Origins: The first living thing
How did life on Earth start? To help answer that, researchers are trying to create some life for themselves.This is the second episode in our three-part series, Origins, about the beginnings and boundaries of life on Earth.For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainableIt’s a great ... Show More
29m 26s