logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2018
27m 31s

Infective Heredity

Wnyc Studios
About this episode
Today, a fast moving, sidestepping, gene-swapping free-for-all that would’ve made Darwin’s head spin. David Quammen tells us about a shocking way that life can evolve - infective heredity. To figure it all out we go back to the earliest versions of life, and we revisit an earlier version of Radiolab. After reckoning with a scientific icon, we find ourselves ... Show More
Up next
Aug 14
Nigel and the Real Gannet
In 2016, Chris Bell, a ranger with New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, was the sole human inhabitant of a small island off the west coast of the country, called Mana Island. He was there to take care of the island’s fragile and recovering ecosystem, including a colony of Au ... Show More
25m 54s
Aug 7
Red Herring
It was the early '80s, the height of the Cold War, when something strange began happening off the coast of Sweden. The navy reported a mysterious sound deep below the surface of the ocean. Again, and again, and again they would hear it near their secret military bases, in their h ... Show More
36m 4s
Jul 31
The Shoe Thrower
When no one seems to be listening, how far do you go to be heard? In December 2008, George W. Bush made a surprise visit to Baghdad for a press conference. And at the very end of his remarks, a shoe came flying past his head. It was “the shoe heard around the world,” and countles ... Show More
1h 17m
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2012
Genes and evolution - from populations to tumours
From whole populations to individual cancers, we're taking a look at genes and evolution. We're also talking about dogs and their diseases, shining a light on Van Gogh's sunflowers, and wondering whether the USB-sized DNA sequence is hope or hype. Plus we've got our gene of the m ... Show More
32m 40s
Feb 2022
146. Disease vs. the rise of civilisation
The way we die has been utterly transformed. There have been around 10,000 generations of human beings, but only in the last 3 or 4 have infectious diseases not been an expected and accepted cause of death. What drove the most deadly infectious diseases? Was technological progr ... Show More
40m 1s
Dec 2007
Genetic Mutation
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss mutation in genetics and evolution. When lying mortally ill with cancer, the British geneticist J.B.S. Haldane penned the following lines: Cancer's a Funny Thing:I wish I had the voice of HomerTo sing of rectal carcinoma,Which kills a lot more chap ... Show More
41m 57s
Sep 2024
Incest: what happens when you inbreed?
<p>CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECTS AND THE FACTS CAN BE TENSE - WE ARE ASAPSCIENCE HERE TO MAKE THINGS MAKE SENSE. Inbreeding is weirdly an important concept to understand in biology, so today we break down the history of incest and what happens when species inbreed. It is a fascinating q ... Show More
1 h
Oct 2021
Plagues of our past
From when our ancestors first mastered fire to the rise of modern cities, humanity’s progress has been accompanied by a revolving door of parasites, bacteria and viruses, wreaking havoc on our health. Kyle Harper, author of Plagues Upon the Earth, discusses the sprawling history ... Show More
56m 53s
Jul 2022
A Humorous History of Genetics
What makes you... well, you? It's a question humanity has wrestled with since the dawn of recorded history all the way to the modern day. In today's special episode in partnership with 23andMe, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the history of genetic research from its ancient predecess ... Show More
49m 32s
Jan 2021
How It All Started (Rebroadcast)
On today’s special edition of the podcast, we’re revisiting one of our early episodes that took a close look at how the novel coronavirus lived before it entered humans and who it lived in. Bats are almost certainly the source of this pandemic, but these flying mammals may also h ... Show More
21m 13s
Apr 2020
An evolutionary perspective on human health and disease | Lara Durgavich
How does your genetic inheritance, culture and history influence your health? Biological anthropologist Lara Durgavich discusses the field of evolutionary medicine as a gateway to understanding the quirks of human biology -- including why a genetic mutation can sometimes have ben ... Show More
15m 49s
Jun 2024
Darwin’s Daring Idea with Richard Dawkins
<p>Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with evolutionary biologist and author of <i>The Genetic Book of the Dead</i> Richard Dawkins to talk about evolution, whether we were “designed,” how we are living reflections of our ancestors, and much much more.  </p><p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons ... Show More
56m 41s
Jul 2025
12 tiny worlds
If you went back 500 million years and re-ran evolution, would life be totally different today? Guests: Richard Lenski and Zachary Blount, evolutionary biologists at Michigan State University For show transcripts, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vox.com/unxtranscripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more, go ... Show More
35m 40s