Symbiosis: Collaboration in Nature
Summary
Jonathan McCrea discusses the failed attempt to rescue the Swift observatory, Eli Lilly’s new triple-action weight loss drug, and a study on attentional biases in children with depressed mothers. He also covers the UK’s approval of CRISPR-edited bananas that resist browning. The episode features Rowan Hooper, author of *Togetherness*, who explores how symbiosis underpins all life, from soil formation to human gut health.
Topics discussed
Show intro and sponsor
Guest introductions and segment overview
Robot spacecraft Link fails to dock with Swift observatory
Discussion on space debris and satellite maintenance
Triple G: New triple-action weight loss drug trial results
Potential for diabetes cure and future drug use
Study on depression, attention bias, and maternal influence
CRISPR-edited bananas with longer shelf life
Gut bacteria and serotonin production
Symbiosis as a driver of species success
Fig trees and their specific wasp pollinators
Lichens and the colonization of land
Leaf-cutter ants and fungal farming
Gene exchange and the origin of life via symbiosis
Human reliance on microbiome for health
The only known isolated species found in a gold mine
When symbiosis turns into parasitism
Agriculture, soil health, and biodiversity loss
Euglena: An animal with built-in solar power
Book promotion and host banter
Spending a billion dollars on healthcare
Promoting a new social media app
Listener comments on orcas and yachts
Miscellaneous listener questions and sign-off
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