About the guest: Michael Lynch, PhD is an evolutionary biologist at Arizona State University who studies the origins of genomic and cellular complexity. Episode summary: Nick and Dr. Lynch discuss: natural selection vs. genetic drift; genetic mutations & the speed of evolution; origin of life; the evolution of cellular complexity; epigenetics & the inheritance of acquired characteristics; and more. *This content is never meant to serve as medical advice. All M&M content, including podcast episodes & written content, is available on Substack. I mainly respond to questions & comments on that channel: [ https://mindandmatter.substack.com ] If you enjoy M&M content and want to provide further support, read this: [ https://mindandmatter.substack.com/p/how-to-support-mind-and-matter?utm_source=publication-search ] ABOUT Nick Jikomes: Nick is a neuroscientist and podcast host. He is currently Director of Science & Innovation at a technology startup in the legal cannabis industry. He received a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University and a B.S. in Genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. #Science #Podcast #Biology #Genetics #Genomics #Evolution #Epigenetics #Life #EvolutionaryBiology #CellBiology 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:45 Michael Lynch conversation 00:09:22 Evolutionary history of life 00:16:14 Origin of life, evolution of cells 00:22:07 Origins of life, cellular metabolism & molecular clock 00:31:11 Natural selection & genetic drift 00:35:45 Population Size, Selection & Diversity 00:41:33 Genomic Complexity & Passive Non-Adaptive Processes 00:50:36 Cellular senescence & energetic costs of cell functions 01:01:44 Cell division & epigenetics 01:06:14 Genomic change, gene duplication 01:13:37 Adaptation of humans to modern environment 01:24:28 Evolutionary mechanisms beyond natural selection