Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

Origins of life (featuring Dr. Katrine Whiteson)

Aug 20, 2026 · 54m

Summary

Daniel, Kelly, and guest Katrina Whiteson explore the origins of life, debating definitions and the "RNA world" hypothesis. They examine early Earth conditions, stromatolite fossils, and the Miller-Urey experiment to understand how life emerged from chemistry. The episode also addresses panspermia and the timeline of life's appearance on our planet.

Topics discussed

Sponsors and Intro Welcome and Guest Introduction Defining Life and Viruses Schrodinger and Koshland's Definitions Moving Forward Without a Definition Early Earth Fossils and Stromatolites Hadean Earth and Late Heavy Bombardment Building Blocks and Panspermia Miller-Urey and Hydrothermal Vents RNA World and Conclusion Outro and Sponsors
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