Biology's Biggest Chicken and Egg Problem | Jacob Fine
· 1 h 31 min · Episode 31
Episode Biology's Biggest Chicken and Egg Problem | Jacob Fine
Life’s First Blueprint Wasn’t DNA; it was RNA.
Read Jacob Fine’s latest publication here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022283625001901
Today we spoke with Jacob Fine, graduate student researcher in Computational Biology from the University of Toronto. We explore the physics of replication, the role of entropy and information theory, and how modern biology is reconnecting with theory to understand the most fundamental question in science. Our conversation takes place in a Russian sauna, where the hot and humid environment mimics some of the conditions needed for life to begin.
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Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:22 - What does any theory of the origin of life need to explain? 04:09 - When did people begin researching the origin of life? 06:51 - Competing theories of the origin of life 11:00 - The RNA world hypothesis 21:38 - Biological vs computational error 24:58 - Origin of life is the origin of information 33:30 - Without error, there would be no life 36:07 - Early compartmentalization mechanisms 47:26 - What do we need to prove theories on the origin of life? 57:23 - What makes a useful model for biology? 1:04:44 - What inspired Jacob to investigate the origin of life? 1:09:45 - Jacob's favorite theories for the origin of life 1:11:58 - Do we need a Manhattan project to discover the origin of life? 1:18:49 - What are the next steps for origins of life research? 1:24:06 - Has exposure to religion shaped Jacob’s perspective on science?
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