Nick Lane: How Life Emerged from Chemistry on the Ocean Floor

I personally subscribe to The Economist. SUMMER SALE to Aug 17, 2026: 50% off the annual subscription! No other podcast has this! https://economist.com/TOE Nick Lane, a British biochemist and professor at University College London, explores how life emerged from chemistry, the role of energy versus information, and the links between mitochondria, consciousness, and alien life. The conversation also tackles the limits of biology, the spectrum of life, and why modern biology may become a study of fields.0:00 Introduction4:45 Genes don't create life7:34 Is the origins of life a physics question or biology question?10:23 Synthetic chemistry14:37 What is a "Pathway"18:27 Life is about energy -- NOT information22:04 The definition of life. Life is a spectrum.27:54 TOE takes a biological turn (why biology is difficult)31:35 21st century biology will be the study of "fields"42:01 Mitochondria are vital for consciousness45:23 Multiple overlapping consciousnesses56:40 Turin and quantum consciousness59:04 Mechanisms for ESP (extra sensory perception)1:05 48 Problems with Occam's Razor and God1:25 06 Are cities alive? Is the world alive?1:32 28 Life on other planets (alien life)1:37 46 The size of bacteria indicate limitations on life in the universe1:44 34 Speciation (how species develop) and Mother's Curse1:58 07 The cell imitates the planet2:04 04 Scientists don't like to ask "why"... Why?2:06 41 Groundbreaking research is difficult to do in the Academy2:20 46 [Karl Friston] Explanation for phenotypic diversity?2:31 22 [RH0D3Z] Respirasomes and Supercomplexes2:37 50 Ending poem by Richard Howard2:39 21 Ending announcementsSPONSORS:- Brilliant: 20% off at https://brilliant.org/TOE- NordVPN: exclusive deal at https://nordvpn.com/theories- Manscaped: 20% off and free shipping with code [EVERYTHING20] at https://manscaped.com- Wren: plant 10 extra trees by signing up at https://wren.co/theories- Trade Coffee: $30 off first order plus free shipping at https://drinktrade.com/everything- ButcherBox: two steaks and lobster claw free with https://butcherbox.com/THEORIESRESOURCES:- YouTube link: https://youtu.be/4vqYJIyBis0- New TOE Website (early access to episodes): https://theoriesofeverything.org/- Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal- Crypto: https://nowpayments.io/donation/TOE- PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/paypalTOE- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt- Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs- iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...- Pandora: https://pdora.co/33b9lfP- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b9...- Subreddit r/TheoriesOfEverything: https://reddit.com/r/theoriesofeveryt...- Physics Contest: https://youtu.be/V93GQaDtv8w- Nick Lane's current book (Transformer): https://amzn.to/3QJ7ZyG- Nick Lane's former book (The Vital Question): https://amzn.to/3RDoihU- John Vervaeke: https://youtu.be/3p8o3-7mvQc Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science. FOLLOW: Substack | Spotify | YouTube | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices