Thedefinitionoflifeisinflux,complexityisoverrated,andhumansareshrinking.

Virusesaresupposedtobesleek,pared-down,dead-eyedmachines.ButwhenonemicrobiologiststumbleduponaGIANTvirus,hundredsoftimesbiggerthananyseenbefore,allthatwentoutthewindow. ThediscoveryopenedthedoornotonlytoanewcastofmicroscopiccharacterswithnameslikeMimivirus,Mamavirus,andMegavirus,butalsotobasicquestions:Howdidwemisstheseuntilnow?Havetheybeenaroundsincethebeginning?Whatifevolutioncouldgo…backwards?

Inthisepisodefrom2015, joinformerco-hostsJadAbumradandRobertKrulwichastheygrillRadiolabregularCarlZimmerontheseparadoxicalviruses–they’resobigthattheycangettheirownviruses!-andwhattheycantellusaboutthenatureoflife. 

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LeadershipsupportforRadiolab’sscienceprogrammingisprovidedbytheGordonandBettyMooreFoundation,ScienceSandbox,aSimonsFoundationInitiative,andtheJohnTempletonFoundation.FoundationalsupportforRadiolabwasprovidedbytheAlfredP.SloanFoundation.