On this episode of The INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE Podcast, Carl Zimmer discusses the importance of ethics in scientific communication and how scientific discoveries can be inaccurately reported by journalists, leading to misunderstandings by the public. The difficulty of defining what it means to be alive is explored and the stakes of this debate, particularly in regards to the autonomy of one’s own body, are discussed. The episode also touches on the controversy surrounding gain of function research on pathogens and the importance of verifying scientific findings. The guest shares anecdotes from her career, including her experience covering the controversial discovery of arsenic life, and reflects on why biology continues to surprise and fascinate her. The episode ends with a discussion on the human brain’s difficulty in dealing with ambiguous states and the challenge of capturing people’s interest in retractions or flawed findings.
Carl Zimmer is an expert science writer who is highly curious about the mysteries of life and often ponders the question of how to define it. Although scientists all study life, their definitions vary, leading to a unique fascination for Zimmer. He was particularly inspired by the astronomers who study the same thing, making their work seem more straightforward. Zimmer was also driven by the belief that advanced technology can sometimes feel magical. These interests have shaped his career as a science writer, and he has covered everything from genetics to pythons.
00:00:44:08 Introduction
00:02:18:10 Judging Books By Their Cover
00:04:21:14 Brain organoids and spontaneous life
00:06:19:07 Life and nonlife
00:18:55:04 What inspired Carl’s work
00:25:01:15 Bias in science journalism
00:31:39:16 Retractions and PR in science
00:40:41:12 Longstanding Misconceptions in science
00:53:55:03 How to define life
00:55:28:04 Carl’s work on COVID reporting
01:07:32:15 What’s humanity’s greatest invention?
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scientific discoveries, inaccurate reporting, ethics, accurate public information, National Science Foundation, basic understanding, scientific advancements, concepts, exaggerated claims, artificial life, Miller Uri experiment, misleads the public, autonomy, termination of a fetus, gun rights, complex questions, Schrodinger’s question, consciousness, genetics, viruses, promotion, publication, funding, Contact, Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, microbes, Antarctica, Martian microbes, debate, arsenic life, PR budget, transparency, life’s edge, border, brain organoids, difficulty defining life, life begins at conception, brain death, conflict, end of life, naturalists, electron microscopy, crystallography, gain of function, manipulation, potential risks, potential outcomes, bird flu virus, scientific community, journalist, Discover magazine, genomics, molecular biology, species, defining life, black and white, California bacteria, arsenic, DNA, flawed findings, verifying findings.
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Dr Brian Keating
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