Life's Catalyst: RNA with Thomas Cech [Ep. 423]

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How did life begin? What makes us human? Why do we get sick and grow old? 

For more than half a century, we've searched for answers to these questions in DNA. But after a series of groundbreaking discoveries, attention has turned to RNA, the long-overlooked molecule that is now at the heart of biology's greatest mysteries.

Here today, to shed light on this topic, is none other than the Nobel laureate Thomas Cech. Thomas shared the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Sidney Altman for their discovery of the catalytic properties of RNA. He discovered that RNA could cut strands of RNA itself, suggesting that life might have started as RNA, and found that RNA can not only transmit instructions but also speed up the necessary reactions. 

His upcoming book, The Catalyst, promises to bring years of pioneering research to the forefront, demonstrating how RNA holds the key to understanding life on Earth—from its very origins to our future. 

Join us as we explore the most transformative breakthroughs in biology and beyond on this episode of Into the Impossible! 

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:17 What is life?
• 02:05 Judging a book by its cover
• 05:44 Does profit drive innovation? 
• 10:51 The RNA breakthrough 
• 14:40 Is DNA a one-trick pony?
• 24:54 Panspermia, DNA and RNA
• 29:25 RNA’s role in the end of life
• 37:01 CRISPR 
• 42:09 Are DNA and RNA the only two informational molecules? 
• 46:57 The future of education 
• 51:38 The greatest thing humans have ever done
• 53:08 What Thomas has been wrong about
• 54:22 Outro

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Additional resources:

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➡️ Learn more about Thomas Cech:

💻 Nobel Prize: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1989/cech/facts/  

📚 Get The Catalyst on Amazon: https://a.co/d/9oaErgg

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