We're sunsetting PodQuest on 2025-07-28. Thank you for your support!
Export Podcast Subscriptions
cover of episode Shrink

Shrink

2023/11/24
logo of podcast Radiolab

Radiolab
AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
C
Carl Zimmer
Topics
Carl Zimmer: 2003年前，生命被简单地分为细胞生命和病毒两类。病毒被认为是非生命体，因为它们依赖宿主细胞复制，自身无法独立生存。然而，巨型病毒的发现挑战了这一传统认知。巨型病毒，例如米米病毒和玛玛病毒，其大小与细菌相当，基因数量远超普通病毒，并拥有独特的复制机制——建立‘病毒工厂’。这些病毒的基因组中，大部分基因与已知基因不匹配，暗示其可能拥有独特的进化路径和起源。巨型病毒的发现模糊了病毒与细胞生命之间的界限，引发了对其分类和进化起源的争论。一些科学家认为，巨型病毒可能起源于细胞生命，通过退化简化，成为寄生性病毒。这一观点认为，生命并非总是朝着复杂化方向发展，也可能经历简化和退化的过程。巨型病毒的发现为我们理解生命提供了新的视角，也促使我们重新思考生命定义的边界。 Jad Abumrad: 作为节目的主持人，我与Robert Krulwich一起对Carl Zimmer进行了深入访谈，探讨了巨型病毒的发现及其对生命定义的挑战。我们对巨型病毒的独特特征，例如其大小、基因数量、复制机制以及与已知基因的差异性，表现出极大的兴趣。我们还讨论了巨型病毒的进化起源，以及生命进化过程中可能存在的简化和退化路径。访谈过程中，我们提出了许多问题，并对Carl Zimmer的解答进行了深入探讨。 Robert Krulwich: 我与Jad Abumrad一起参与了对Carl Zimmer的访谈，并对巨型病毒的发现及其意义表现出浓厚的兴趣。我特别关注巨型病毒的进化路径，以及生命进化过程中可能存在的简化和退化现象。Carl Zimmer提出的巨型病毒可能起源于细胞生命，并通过退化简化而成为寄生性病毒的观点，引起了我的极大兴趣。这与我们通常认为生命总是朝着复杂化方向发展的观点有所不同，为我们理解生命进化提供了新的视角。

Deep Dive

Chapters

Shownotes Transcript

The definition of life is in flux, complexity is overrated, and humans are shrinking.

Viruses are supposed to be sleek, pared-down, dead-eyed machines. But when one microbiologist stumbled upon a GIANT virus, hundreds of times bigger than any seen before, all that went out the window.  The discovery opened the door not only to a new cast of microscopic characters with names like Mimivirus, Mamavirus, and Megavirus, but also to basic questions: How did we miss these until now? Have they been around since the beginning? What if evolution could go … backwards?

In this episode from 2015,  join former co-hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich as they grill Radiolab regular Carl Zimmer on these paradoxical viruses – they’re so big that they can get their own viruses! - and what they can tell us about the nature of life. 

Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up) (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!

Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab) (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.

Follow our show on Instagram), Twitter) and Facebook) @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected]).

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.