Nick Lane

In this conversation, Nick Lane, an evolutionary biochemist at University College London, dives into the origins of life and the role of eukaryotes. He suggests that early life may have emerged from hydrothermal vents, explaining why life relies on proton gradients and why complex cells evolved only once. Lane discusses how two sexes evolved for mitochondrial quality control and how early life’s chemistry implies its prevalence across the galaxy. He connects these theories to the large-scale patterns seen in eukaryotic evolution and challenges listeners to embrace scientific curiosity.

Biochemist Nick Lane, an expert at UCL and author of several acclaimed books, dives into the intricacies of life's origins and evolution. He discusses how hydrothermal vents may have sparked early life and challenges traditional views of cellular emergence. Lane elaborates on the concept of 'hopeful monsters' in evolution and the evolution of photosynthesis, revealing the complexities of consciousness. He also speculates on the existence of alien life, considering historical environmental shifts that shaped life on Earth. His insights blend science with philosophy, asking profound questions about existence.

In this engaging discussion, Mike Murphy, a Professor at the University of Cambridge, sheds light on how mitochondria are vital for energy production in complex life forms. Florencia Camus from UCL delves into the genetics and evolutionary history of these powerhouses, while Nick Lane explores their integral role in health and aging. The trio discusses mitochondrial DNA’s unique maternal inheritance and its implications for tracing human ancestry. They also touch on cutting-edge topics like mitochondrial replacement therapy and its potential to revolutionize medicine.

Yoshua Bengio, a Turing Award-winning AI expert, shares insights alongside philosopher Hilary Lawson, physicist Sabine Hossenfelder, and evolutionary biochemist Nick Lane. They tackle the intriguing question of machine consciousness. The conversation critiques the Turing test and explores the complexities of replicating human thought in AI. They delve into the evolutionary significance of consciousness, the limitations of materialist views, and the moral implications of potentially conscious machines, ultimately questioning what it means to truly understand consciousness.

Nick Lane, a renowned British biochemist and professor at University College London, dives into the mysteries surrounding the origin of life. He discusses the pivotal role of the Krebs cycle, not just in energy production but also in understanding life's beginnings. Lane explores how metabolic processes may predate genetics, linking energy flow to the emergence of life. Intriguingly, he connects these concepts to contemporary health issues like cancer, emphasizing the profound implications of energy and chemistry in the evolution of living organisms.

Renowned guests Lisa Miller, Nick Lane, and Paul Bickley explore consciousness, life after death, and the limitations of the physical body in this thought-provoking podcast. They discuss scientific evidence for life after death, the concept of afterlife in a secular world, and the significance of love and connection in spiritual life. The speakers also debate the possibility of an afterlife in a secular society and the need for better frameworks to understand and process death.

Delving into the origin of life, the podcast explores abiogenesis theories and experiments like Miller-Urey. References to Darwin's warm pond letter and Haldane's work add depth. The RNA world hypothesis and hydrothermal vent theories are discussed, shedding light on the complexities of life's beginnings.

In this episode, evolutionary biochemist, professor and writer Nick Lane joins us to talk about how life evolves from an energy flow perspective. Nick Lane’s research is on the way that energy flow has shaped evolution over 4 billion years, using a mixture of theoretical and experimental work to address the origin of life, the evolution of complex cells and downright peculiar behaviour such as sex. We dive deep into the origin of life and early evolution: hydrothermal vents, the krebs cycle which is a cycle of reactions that uses energy to transform inorganic molecules into the building blocks of life and the reverse, and the importance of vents having an electrical charge, co2, hydrogen, and a system that converts gasses. Additionally we talk about the eukaryotic cell and multicellularity in the origin of animals. Dive in! And learn how life evolves from an amazing biochemist perspective! SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/rhyslindmark JOIN OUR DISCORD: https://discord.gg/PDAPkhNxrC Who is Nick Lane? Nick Lane is Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry in the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment at University College London. He was a founding member of the UCL Consortium for Mitochondrial Research, and is Co-Director of the UCL Centre for Life’s Origin and Evolution (CLOE). Lane is the author of five acclaimed books on evolutionary biochemistry. His most recent book is Transformer: The Deep Chemistry of Life and Death. Topics: Welcome Nick Lane to The Rhys Show!: (00:00:00) Goal for listeners: (00:02:14) How Nick thinks about the world before life: (00:02:58) Thoughts about the big bang period between 14 billion and 4 billion years ago from a biochemist lens: (00:07:44) How did life start?: (00:10:39) More about energy is first, krebs cycle is first and metabolism is first: (00:17:56) Biology overtime: how Nick thinks about those 4 billion years to us and how energy plays a role in it: (00:38:10) Wrap-up & about aging and how these electrical charges on membrane rundown: (00:55:26) Nick Lane’s books: Oxygen: The molecule that made the world: https://nick-lane.net/books/oxygen-the-molecule-that-made-the-world/ Power, sex, suicide: Mitochondria and the meaning of life: https://nick-lane.net/books/power-sex-suicide-mitochondria-meaning-life/ Life ascending: The ten great inventions of evolution: https://nick-lane.net/books/life-ascending-the-ten-great-inventions-of-evolution/ The vital question. Why is life the way it is?: https://nick-lane.net/books/the-vital-question-why-is-life-the-way-it-is/ Transformer: The deep chemistry of life and death: https://nick-lane.net/books/transformer-the-deep-chemistry-of-life-and-death/ Connect with Nick Lane: Personal Web: https://nick-lane.net/

In this engaging discussion, Nick Lane, a British biochemist and professor at University College London, dives deep into the origins of life and consciousness. He challenges traditional views by placing the Krebs cycle at the forefront of life's beginnings. The conversation explores the complexities of energy dynamics and how they intertwine with cellular processes. Lane also examines the potential for consciousness to emerge from cellular interactions and reflects on the philosophical implications of science in understanding our humanity.

Nick Lane, author of 'Transformer: The Deep Chemistry of Life and Death', discusses the significance of the Krebs cycle in understanding the origin of life and energy production, the Cambrian explosion and the evolution of predation, the dream of cells and cancer, health issues related to aging, and the surprising discovery of the influence of Zenon on respiration and its connection to general anesthetics and consciousness.