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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