The world, the universe and us How exercise shrinks tumours and starves cancer; Weird molecules found on comet 3I/ATLAS; Einstein v Bohr on the nature of light
27 snips
Dec 5, 2025 Joining the discussion are Alex Wilkins, a science journalist focused on astronomy, and Jacob Aron, who specializes in physics. They explore groundbreaking research showing that exercise can shrink tumors in mice by up to 60% by starving cancer cells of glucose. Alex dives into the surprising chemical findings from comet 3I/ATLAS, revealing its potential implications for the origin of life. Jacob sheds light on the resolution of the century-old Einstein-Bohr debate, showcasing how a recent experiment has validated Bohr's theory about the dual nature of light.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Muscles Outcompete Tumors For Glucose
- Exercise makes muscles increase glucose uptake and can reduce tumor glucose consumption in mice.
- This metabolic competition correlated with tumours being about 60% smaller in exercising mice.
Mouse Trial Shows Big Tumour Reduction
- Yale researchers injected breast cancer cells into 18 mice and gave half access to running wheels.
- Obese exercising mice had tumours about 60% smaller than sedentary obese mice after four weeks.
Multiple Mechanisms Link Exercise And Cancer Outcomes
- Exercise likely uses multiple mechanisms to slow cancer, including microbiome changes and metabolic shifts.
- The microbiome-produced molecule formate and muscle gene changes (including mTOR downregulation) may both contribute.