The Escaped Sapiens Podcast

Earth & Life. 3.77 Billion Years Under Construction | Olivia Judson | Escaped Sapiens #60

This conversation is about the history of life and earth. I speak with evolutionary biologist and author Olivia Judson, who is best known for her book 'Dr. Tatiana's sex advice to all creation''. Oliva thinks of the history of life on earth in terms of 5 energy epochs, in which life has worked out how to make use of different kinds of energy. These epochs are geochemistry, light, oxygen, flesh, and fire. Olivia explains her fascination with the transformation of life over time, and with what it means to be alive 4.5 billion years into earth's history. Olivia is currently in the final stages of authoring her next popular science book on just this topic.

►Watch Conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NgN5M4UWOMY

►For more information about Olivias work see: https://aeon.co/essays/the-insight-of-darwins-work-on-corals-worms-and-co-evolution

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-017-0138

 

At 1:14:38 Olivia accidently says cyanobacteria instead of Coccolithophores.

At 1:57:12 Olivia accidently says 20,000 base pairs instead of 20,000 genes. Genes are sequences of base pairs. The typical Bacteria have between 2000 and 5000 genes, corresponding to several million base pairs.

 

These conversations are supported by the Andrea von Braun Foundation (http://www.avbstiftung.de/), as an exploration of the rich, exciting, connected, scientifically literate, and (most importantly) sustainable future of humanity. The views expressed in these episodes are my own and those of my guests.

Scientific Literacy And Democracy | Johannes Vogel | Escaped Sapiens # 59

NOTE: From 0:01:07-0:02:36 the sound quality is lower than the rest of the episode as you are hearing the backup recording. 

 

This conversation is about democracy and scientific literacy. In 2023 Germany shut down the last of its nuclear plants, and is now bringing back several mothballed coal plants to keep the lights on over winter. Was this a smart decision given the scientific consensus that we need to cut carbon emissions? Similar questions can be asked about the banning of GMO crops, or government handling of Covid. More and more, the decisions being made in western democracies have a scientific basis. Can our democracies thrive (or even survive) without a well informed, engaged, and scientifically literate population? In this conversation I speak with Johannes Vogel, who is the Director General of the Natural Science Museum in Berlin, and a Professor of Biodiversity and Public Science at Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany. We discuss the role of museums in society, the unglamorous side of science, open and citizen science, scientific spending, ownership of museum items, the war in Ukraine, preserving museum specimens, the effectiveness of political protest and marches, scientists as politicians, AI and misinformation, and much more.

►Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/KT_p26a_d_M

►For more information about Johannes work: https://www.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin/en/about/team/johannes.vogel

 

These conversations are supported by the Andrea von Braun Foundation (http://www.avbstiftung.de/), as an exploration of the rich, exciting, connected, scientifically literate, and (most importantly) sustainable future of humanity. The views expressed in these episodes are my own and those of my guests. This episode focuses on the sustainability of western democracies in the face of anti-scientific sentiment.

The Ethics and Practice of Plastic Surgery | Gary Linkov | Escaped Sapiens #58

In this conversation I speak with Dr. Gary Linkov about the ethics and practice of plastic surgery. Gary is a double board certified facial plastic surgeon who specializes in lip lift surgeries and hair restoration. He is also renowned for carrying out complex nasal surgery for US war veterans in need, and for teaching rhinoplasty procedures to the NYU head and neck surgery residents.

 

Plastic surgery is controversial. On the one hand critics claim that it leads to unhealthy beauty standards, and that aggressive marketing preys upon people who are already under enormous pressure the alter who they are to conform with societies view of beauty. On the other hand our society values personal agency and individual choice, and plastic surgery can help improve self image and quality of life. This is particularly apparent in cases where patients have suffered from physical trauma, or cancer, or who were born with congenital defects. We discuss some of the ethics behind plastic surgery, including who might be an appropriate candidate. We also touch on the technical aspects of the job, including how certain procedures are done.

 

►Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8iOLX1_LbRU

►For more information about Gary's research and work: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=_O-qmfUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao https://cityfacialplastics.com/dr-gary-linkov/

►Follow Gary on YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@drgarylinkov

These conversations are supported by the Andrea von Braun Foundation (http://www.avbstiftung.de/), as an exploration of the rich, exciting, connected, scientifically literate, and (most importantly) sustainable future of humanity. The views expressed in these episodes are my own and those of my guests.

Rise Of The Blockchain | JP Vergne | Escaped Sapiens #57

In this conversation I discuss distributed and decentralized organizations with Jean-Philippe Vergne, who is an associate professor of strategy at University College London. We focus on the development of blockchain technology, which at least in theory should allow for new forms of organization that don't rely on centralized authorities to function. The initial dream was that blockchain technology would drive innovation, provide transparency, limit abuses of power, and provide access to financing for people living in dysfunctional states. Crypto currencies based on the technology might also act as a counterweight to the sovereign monopoly that nation states have on currency creation. As we discuss, however, blockchain networks and applications often maintain elements of centralization and it is often difficult in practice to use the technology to construct organizations that are more distributed than traditional hierarchical organizations.

►Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/qxe5Oiwvk7c

►For more information about JP's research: https://www.mgmt.ucl.ac.uk/people/jeanphilippevergne
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2631787720977052

►Follow JP on twitter and LinkedIn:
https://twitter.com/PirateOrg
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpver/

These conversations are supported by the Andrea von Braun foundation (http://www.avbstiftung.de/), as an exploration of the rich, exciting, connected, scientifically literate, and (most importantly) sustainable future of humanity. The views expressed in these episodes are my own and those of my guests. This episode focuses on new forms of organization and the evolution of societies. 

Feeding The Future : The Ocean Farmers | Shawn Robinson | Escaped Sapiens #56

What is the future of our oceans? On this episode of the Podcast I speak with Dr. Shawn Robinson about marine ecology, aquaculture, and the politics and economics of what ends up on your plate. Shawn is a marine ecologist who did his graduate work at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia on the giant Pacific octopus (MSc) and at the University of British Columbia on biological oceanography off Vancouver Island (PhD). He began his career as a research scientist in 1988 with the Dept. Fisheries and Oceans at the Biological Station in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada, one of Canada’s oldest marine research stations. Over the last 35 years, he has been actively engaged in applied ecological research on a wide range of marine invertebrate species such as blue mussels, sea scallops, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, soft-shell clams, lobsters, marine worms, sea lice and marine bacteria. His research team specifically studied the natural ecological processes by which these animals interact with and utilise their environment so that better and more sustainable culture techniques could be developed for the evolution of food production in today’s society (such as the concept of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture or IMTA). Most recently, he and other colleagues have been studying sea lice ecology in relation to salmon farming, biodiversity in marine bacteria through eDNA genomic approaches in response to organic impacts, and wild-farmed interactions between natural ecosystems and salmon aquaculture farms. He currently lives in St. Andrews enjoying the retirement pleasures that a coastal town in the Canadian Maritimes provides.

These conversations are supported by the Andrea von Braun foundation (http://www.avbstiftung.de/), as an exploration of the rich, exciting, connected, scientifically literate, and (most importantly) sustainable future of humanity. The views expressed in these episodes are my own and those of my guests. This episode looks at the sustainable use of our oceans.

►Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/N805eseQtWA

►Subscribe And Turn On All Notifications To See More: https://www.youtube.com/c/EscapedSapiens?sub_confirmation=1

Genetic Biocontrol and De-Extinction | Stephen Frankenberg | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #55

In only 250 years since colonization, Australia has seen the extinction of 38 species of mammals. Much of the devastation to Australia's native wildlife has been caused or exacerbated by the introduction of invasive pests like cats, dogs, cane toads, camels, and rabbits. A key question is whether science will one day be able to return Australia to its original state? In this conversation I speak with Dr. Stephen Frankenberg about genetic biocontrol and de-extinction. We focus on the use of gene drives, which are genetic tools that can be used to increase the likelihood that a suite of genes will spread throughout a population. Gene drives can be used, to spread infertility into a population over a number of generations, removing that population without having to cull animals. We also discuss the work being done to return the Tasmanian tiger from extinction.

►Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/Qeth7hIPNnM

►Check out Stephen's research here: https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/pasklab/dr-stephen-frankenberg/
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Fk_RvmoAAAAJ&hl=en

►Follow Stephen on Twitter: @srfrankenberg

These conversations are supported by the Andrea von Braun foundation (http://www.avbstiftung.de/), as an exploration of the rich, exciting, connected, scientifically literate, and (most importantly) sustainable future of humanity. The views expressed in these episodes are my own and those of my guests. This episode looks at using technology to preserve species that are in threat of extinction, and to return the wild spaces that have already been destroyed.

The Birth Of Synthetic Intelligence | David Shapiro | Escaped Sapiens #54

Progress in AI development seems to be accelerating, and we might be living through a period in human history that is every bit as significant as the agricultural and industrial revolutions. We might be witnessing the dawn of synthetic general intelligence. In this conversation I speak with David Shapiro who is an AI researcher and YouTube content creator. We discuss the current state of the art LLMs, and the inevitable rise of autonomous AI given current global economic competition. We cover the social implications in the near term and existential threats in the long term, as well as alignment and AI control.

►Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/YfjaspSWI0c

►Check out David's work on alignment here:
https://www.gatoframework.org/

►Visit David's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidShapiroAutomator

►Join David's Discord:
https://discord.com/invite/32kNMc2Pqt

►Support David's work on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/daveshap

These conversations are supported by the Andrea von Braun foundation (http://www.avbstiftung.de/), as an exploration of the rich, exciting, connected, scientifically literate, and (most importantly) sustainable future of humanity. The views expressed in these episodes are my own and those of my guests. This episode looks at maintaining human cohesion, birthrates, social security, and world peace in the face of artificial general intelligence. 

What Science Learned From The Pandemic | Peter Doherty | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #53

Now that the dust has settled to a certain extent, how did we do with the pandemic? Which countries handled the situation best? Did we learn anything? How well did scientists do, and how well did the public, politicians, and the media do? In this episode of the podcast I speak with Australian immunologist and author Peter Doherty. Peter has won a range of distinguished prizes for his research including the Albert Lasker prize for basic medical research and the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Rolf M. Zinkernagel. Peter is also a National Trust Australian Living Treasure, and was the 1997 Australian of the year. We discuss immunology, life in research, the Nobel prize, scientific ego, the role of science in politics, the struggles of young scientists, existential risk, and political polarization.

 

►Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/ttGFjDcHLCI

 

►For more information about Peter: https://www.doherty.edu.au/people/laureate-professor-peter-doherty

These conversations are supported by the Andrea von Braun foundation (http://www.avbstiftung.de/), as an exploration of the rich, exciting, connected, scientifically literate, and (most importantly) sustainable future of humanity. The views expressed in these episodes are my own and those of my guests. This episode looks at (medical) science more broadly, and the role it played in maintaining stable and healthy societies during the pandemic. 

Behind Closed Doors: The High Stakes Game Of Diplomacy | John Kornblum | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #52

It is easy to take peace for granted. In this episode of the podcast I speak with John Kornblum about the hard work that diplomats do in the background to maintain peace between nations. John specializes in European and east–west relations, and played a defining role in many of the important events leading up to the end of the Cold War, and those that led to the current post-cold war security environment. These included the Quadripartite negotiations on Berlin, the Helsinki Final Act, the stationing of nuclear weapons in Europe, President Ronald Reagan's historic 1987 speech at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, German reunification, the Dayton Agreement on the Balkans, enlargement of NATO, the post-Cold War security settlement with Russia and Ukraine and the agreement on compensation of slave laborers and establishment of the Reconciliation Foundation of German Industry. John also served as US Special Envoy to the Balkans and directed two dramatic prisoner and spy exchanges on the Glienicke Bridge in Berlin in 1985 and 1986.

 

►Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tU0q0C0jTUw

 

►For more information about John: https://www.csis.org/people/john-c-kornblum


These conversations are supported by the Andrea von Braun foundation (http://www.avbstiftung.de/), as an exploration of the rich, exciting, connected, scientifically literate, and (most importantly) sustainable future of humanity. The views expressed in these episodes are my own and those of my guests. This episode covers the maintenance of international relations, the rule of international law, and world peace.

Vertical Farming: A New Food System | Viviana Correa Galvis | Escaped Sapeins Podcast #51

Most of us live nowhere near where our food comes from. which means that the food that we have access to is dictated by conderations like does it travel well, and does it have a long shelf life. Our supply chains also lead to sprawling monocrops, pesticide overuse, and agricultural runoff, as well as biodiversity loss, and a range of other problems. But this might all change in the near future with vertical farming.

In this episode of the Podcast I speak with Dr. Vivian Correa Galvis about the future of Vertical Farming. Vivian is a Crow Quality Team Lead at Infarm, which is one of the worlds largest vertical agricultural company. The idea we discuss is simple but dramatic. We might one day be able to return vast amounts of land to nature by bringing crops back into the cities and stacking them vertically in controlled environments. The benefit of controlled environments is the ability to decide on the cultivars that we want to grow, and we can also control runoff and water usage. There are even ways of controlling how fast plants grow, their size, shape, nutrition value, flavor, and colour without altering their genetics.

►Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYWDzhn1CKA 

►For more information about Vivian: https://scholar.google.de/citations?hl=de&user=Tzkz19sAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate

 

►For more information about Infarm: https://www.infarm.com/

 

►Note, that this episode is not a paid advertisement for infarm. Infarm, however, very kindly allowed me to visit their premises in Berlin for this interview.

 

These conversations are supported by the Andrea von Braun foundation (http://www.avbstiftung.de/), as an exploration of the rich, exciting, connected, scientifically literate, and (most importantly) sustainable future of humanity. The views expressed in these episodes are my own and those of my guests. This episode covers sustainable resource use in agriculture.