StarTalk Radio Do We Have to Die? with Venki Ramakrishnan
12 snips
Jul 11, 2025 
Join Nobel Prize-winning structural biologist Venki Ramakrishnan as he discusses the profound topic of death with hosts Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly. They explore the science of aging, the molecular journey of cells, and the philosophical implications of mortality. Ramakrishnan humorously compares aging to bread, delves into the mysteries of stem cells, and challenges our perceptions of life and death. The conversation pushes boundaries, questioning the limits of lifespan and the meaning of existence.
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Defining Life and Death
- Life is hard to define but is generally a system capable of self-replication and evolution.
- Death means irreversible loss of an organism's ability to function as a coherent whole.
Aging and Protein Damage
- Aging involves damage accumulating in molecules, cells, and tissues over time.
- Proteins degrade in quality, causing diseases like Alzheimer's due to protein clumping.
Senescent Cells and Aging
- Senescent cells stop dividing but secrete inflammatory signals to alert immune response.
- Their accumulation causes chronic inflammation, damaging organs and contributing to aging.
