Island of Knowledge: What is Life?

Photo illustration by Angelo Bautista. Original images by Marcelo Gleiser and Ferdinand Stöhr (CC0).

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Original Air Date: 
July 12, 2025

Life is the sum total of the time between birth and death. But have you ever really wondered, what is life? It’s mysterious — and even science doesn’t quite have an answer. But there’s a new biology of life that’s overturning decades of assumptions. We report from a gathering of biologists, geologists and artists at the Island of Knowledge in Tuscany.

Why we need a new theory of life

Audio

Scientists know what life does, but what life is… that’s a mystery, says astrobiologist Marcelo Gleiser. And geologist Bob Hazen believes we need a radically new understanding of how life evolved, which begins not with cells but with rocks.

Length: 
17:58

Beyond the genome: A new science of life

Audio

Not long ago, we thought decoding the human genome would reveal the secrets of life. That proved to be a fantasy. Now scientists are learning how to grow life outside the body — and as science writer Phil Ball discovered, even create mini-brains in a vat.

Length: 
15:03

How humans can learn to be animal

Audio

Melanie Challenger is a naturalist who spends a lot of time in wild places. She’s intimately familiar with birth and death, and she believes any understanding of what it means to be human must start by tuning into our animal nature.

Length: 
15:13
Extras
Show Details 📻
Airdates
July 12, 2025
Guests: 

Marcelo Gleiser

Theoretical physicist and Professor
dartmouth.edu

Bob Hazen

Mineralogist and Astrobiologist

Phil Ball

Science Writer

Melanie Challenger

Writer and Naturalist
melaniechallenger.com
Categories: 
Science
Nature
Full Transcript 📄

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Last modified: 
July 11, 2025