Polymath World Episode 55: Dr Erika DeBenedictis

Polymath World Episode 55: Dr Erika DeBenedictis

GENE EDITING AND TERRAFORMING MARS Dr Erika DeBenedictus is CEO of Pioneer Labs. She is a computational physicist and synthetic biologist working at the intersection of space science and the life sciences. She studied at Caltech before moving to MIT and did her postdoc under 2024 Nobel Laureate David Baker. She also trained at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. At Pioneer Labs they use several methods, including CRISPR and other forms of gene editing, to engineer microbes such as cyanobacteria to help make Mars more hospitable to earth life. The Great Oxidation event saw cyanobacteria transform earth's atmosphere into a world inhabitable for us and the same could happen on Mars but much faster. Mars was once very earth like - could it be brought back to its life-supporting state? The Polymath World Channel brings you interviews with extraordinary researchers and academics working on the frontiers of their disciplines. Meet and hear from scientists, professors, lecturers, researchers, engineers, philosophers and astronauts.   Don’t forget to like and subscribe. New episodes every Wednesday. #PolymathWorldChannel #PursueExtraordinary #Mars #Terraforming #LifeSciences #SpaceScience #Microbes #PioneerLabs #Biotechnology #Astrobiology #EnvironmentalScience #SyntheticBiology #Photosynthesis #PlanetaryProtection #Engineering #Biosphere #Ethics #SpaceExploration #Climate #EvolutionaryBiology #Microbiology #PlanetaryScience #Science #DirectedEvolution #Genetics #GeneEditing #CRISPR ---------- Socials: Spotify:  https://tinyurl.com/PolymathWorld Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/polymath_sam/ Tik Tok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@polymath_sam YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@UCuG7pQHkUJjc9WO56lcW47g  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-mckee/ Website:  https://sam-mckee.co.uk/ [https://sam-mckee.co.uk/]

Polymath World Episode 54 - BIS Lecture: Reinventing Space 2025

COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AND HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT Many thanks to the British Interplanetary Society for allowing me to publish this lecture on my channel. I was delighted and honoured to speak at the BIS Reinventing Space conference for a second year in a row. What are the implications for human spaceflight and space medicine coming from the recent revolutions in computational biology? How can we use it to better assess astronaut's health and assist them in travelling further and living longer off-world? AlphaFold and its competitors are opening up new possibilities for this space age. The Polymath World Channel brings you interviews with extraordinary researchers and academics working on the frontiers of their disciplines. Meet and hear from scientists, professors, lecturers, researchers, engineers, philosophers and astronauts.   Don’t forget to like and subscribe. New episodes every Wednesday. #PolymathWorldChannel #PursueExtraordinary #DNARepair #SpaceMedicine #ComputationalBiology #CancerTreatment #GeneEditing #BioInk #AlphaFold #AstronautHealth #GenomicMedicine #Immunotherapy #Bioinformatics #Bioastronautics #SpaceExploration #HumanSpaceflight #Space #Genomics ---------- Socials: Spotify:  https://tinyurl.com/PolymathWorld Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/polymath_sam/ Tik Tok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@polymath_sam YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@UCuG7pQHkUJjc9WO56lcW47g  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-mckee/ Website:  https://sam-mckee.co.uk/ [https://sam-mckee.co.uk/]

Polymath World Episode 53 - Prof David Wilkinson

ASTROPHYSICS AND THEOLOGY Dr David Wilkinson is an extraordinary polymath - a man with 2 PhDs and a published scholar across both science and theology. He is Professor of Theology and Principle of St John's College, University of Durham. He has authored many books including God, Stephen Hawking and the Multiverse. After initially working on the study of star formation and the chemical evolution of galaxies, he transitioned to systematic theology where he has become one of the leading researchers in the relationship between science and religion in the UK and overseas. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and the International Society for Science and Religion. He is a regular contributor to BBC Thought for the Day. He headed up the ECLAS initiative to help churches better engage with science. David has always been an immense encouragement to me and greatly supported my doctorate on the Quaker astrophysicist Sir Arthur Eddington. The Polymath World Channel brings you interviews with extraordinary researchers and academics working on the frontiers of their disciplines. Meet and hear from scientists, professors, lecturers, researchers, engineers, philosophers and astronauts.   Don’t forget to like and subscribe. New episodes every Wednesday. #PolymathWorldChannel #PursueExtraordinary #Astrophysics #Astronomy #ScienceAndReligion #Theology #Stars #Christianity #DavidWilkinson #ScienceAndFaith #Physics #Belief #ScienceEducation #PersonalJourney #AcademicCareer #InterdisciplinaryStudies #Science #JohnPolkinghorne #ExtraterrestrialLife #Dialogue #Faith #ChristianLeadership #QuantumTheory #Miracles ---------- Socials: Spotify:  https://tinyurl.com/PolymathWorld Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/polymath_sam/ Tik Tok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@polymath_sam YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@UCuG7pQHkUJjc9WO56lcW47g  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-mckee/ Website:  https://sam-mckee.co.uk/ [https://sam-mckee.co.uk/]

Polymath World # Episode 52 - Samantha Tauber

VNCCII NASA ASTROBOTICS and NANOFISCH Samantha Tauber is the visionary creator of VNCCII® and the founding architect behind the Galacta.i.ssance Movement—a bold new cultural renaissance designed to elevate consciousness, awaken the imagination, and serve as a guide to humanity for an abundant future. Through her alter ego, VNCCII®—a cosmic superheroine and celestial ally for humanity’s next evolution—Samantha fuses music, science, immersive technology, and storytelling into a living, dynamic mythos. In July her book, VNNCCII: The Awakening of a Divine Warrior, is being flown as part of the first ever galactic library to the Moon aboard NASA's Astrobotics mission where it will land on the Griffin Lander in an effort to preserve human culture for a million years. This is in keeping with the Golden Record initiative of the legendary Carl Sagan. Samantha's passion comes from the "overview effect" made famous in the work of Frank White - how seeing Earth from space permanently changes our perspective on everything. I worked with Samantha alongside SpaceX astronaut Chris Sembroski for a week of science communication to schools. Her story is inspiring and she is an amazing person. Enjoy her story! https://www.vnccii.com/ [https://www.vnccii.com/] https://www.galactaissance.world/ [https://www.galactaissance.world/] The Polymath World Channel brings you interviews with extraordinary researchers and academics working on the frontiers of their disciplines. Meet and hear from scientists, professors, lecturers, researchers, engineers, philosophers and astronauts.   Don’t forget to like and subscribe. New episodes every Wednesday. #PolymathWorldChannel #PursueExtraordinary #Space #Scifi #ScienceFiction #Moon #NASA #Spaceflight #Voyager #CarlSagan #SamanthaTauber #Vinci #OverviewEffect #NanoFish #GalacticLibrary #Astrobotics #SpaceDiplomacy #Storytelling #VinciProject #Transhumanism #SpaceAdvocacy #AI #Humanity #ArtAndScience #FutureOfHumanity #Interconnectedness ---------- Socials: Spotify:  https://tinyurl.com/PolymathWorld Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/polymath_sam/ Tik Tok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@polymath_sam YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@UCuG7pQHkUJjc9WO56lcW47g  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-mckee/ Website:  https://sam-mckee.co.uk/ [https://sam-mckee.co.uk/]

Polymath World # Episode 51 - Dr John Nelson

Theology WHAT DID JESUS LOOK LIKE? Dr John Nelson is a theologian who studied his Masters and PhD at Oxford University. He did his BA at the University of Nottingham. His thesis was on why there is no physical description of Jesus in the New Testament or any early Christian literature. John hosts events across the country with his friend and well-known sceptic Alex O'Connor and moderates discussions on Premier Unbelievable, including some Sam has featured on. Alongside writing he teaches philosophy and religious studies. The Polymath World Channel brings you interviews with extraordinary researchers and academics working on the frontiers of their disciplines. Meet and hear from scientists, professors, lecturers, researchers, engineers, philosophers and astronauts.   Don’t forget to like and subscribe. New episodes every Wednesday. #PolymathWorldChannel #PursueExtraordinary #Jesus #NewTestament #Theology #Bible #AncientNearEast #AncientHistory #BiblicalStudies #ReligiousStudies #PhilosophyOfReligion #AncientBiography #HistoricalJesus #ObjectivityInResearch #Apologetics #GospelOfMark #ReligiousFaith ---------- Socials: Spotify:  https://tinyurl.com/PolymathWorld Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/polymath_sam/ Tik Tok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@polymath_sam YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@UCuG7pQHkUJjc9WO56lcW47g  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-mckee/ Website:  https://sam-mckee.co.uk/ [https://sam-mckee.co.uk/]