Venki Ramakrishnan

That's another way of thinking about it. Yeah, that's true.

That's another way of thinking about it. Yeah, that's true.

Well, I think it started because I wrote my first popular book, which was called Gene Machine, which was about the race for the structure of the ribosome. It was meant to capture some of the frankness of the double helix, which I have to say I read as a student of physics. For the first time, it gave me some idea of the thrill of physics. you know, a biological question.

Well, I think it started because I wrote my first popular book, which was called Gene Machine, which was about the race for the structure of the ribosome. It was meant to capture some of the frankness of the double helix, which I have to say I read as a student of physics. For the first time, it gave me some idea of the thrill of physics. you know, a biological question.

And I know it's a very controversial book, but it's influenced lots of people, including Jennifer Doudna, who in the preface to her own book says that's a book that really stimulated her to become a scientist. So although it's got its, you know, downsides, you know, Jim Watson can be frank, but also unnecessarily nasty. I wanted to capture the frankness without the gratuitous nastiness.

And I know it's a very controversial book, but it's influenced lots of people, including Jennifer Doudna, who in the preface to her own book says that's a book that really stimulated her to become a scientist. So although it's got its, you know, downsides, you know, Jim Watson can be frank, but also unnecessarily nasty. I wanted to capture the frankness without the gratuitous nastiness.

And so that was my experience of writing that book. And I found I enjoyed the process of writing about a complicated subject in molecular biology for the general public. Then I thought, well, what could I write about now that would be really timely and that I would have something to say? And the thing is, as I mentioned, protein synthesis is central to aging because proteins do a lot of things.

And so that was my experience of writing that book. And I found I enjoyed the process of writing about a complicated subject in molecular biology for the general public. Then I thought, well, what could I write about now that would be really timely and that I would have something to say? And the thing is, as I mentioned, protein synthesis is central to aging because proteins do a lot of things.

And if the process gets disrupted or becomes less optimal, then it leads to aging. So I was very, very close to the field, even though I don't particularly work on aging. And aging, of course, is a big existential question. We may be the only species that's aware of mortality. Animals may know about death. They can certainly sense death.

And if the process gets disrupted or becomes less optimal, then it leads to aging. So I was very, very close to the field, even though I don't particularly work on aging. And aging, of course, is a big existential question. We may be the only species that's aware of mortality. Animals may know about death. They can certainly sense death.

But I think there's no evidence that they know about mortality in the sense that we humans know that we're all going to die, that we're not going to live past 120, at least given current medicine and biology. So that's influenced us greatly.

But I think there's no evidence that they know about mortality in the sense that we humans know that we're all going to die, that we're not going to live past 120, at least given current medicine and biology. So that's influenced us greatly.

Ever since we were aware of it, if you look at all the ways we try to avoid death, you know, building pyramids and mummifying ourselves, and also a lot of religions actually deal with what happens when you die. And they're all different religions will have different ideas of what will happen, but they all view it as some sort of transition.

Ever since we were aware of it, if you look at all the ways we try to avoid death, you know, building pyramids and mummifying ourselves, and also a lot of religions actually deal with what happens when you die. And they're all different religions will have different ideas of what will happen, but they all view it as some sort of transition.

rather than a finality so it is a question that's bothered us ever since we became aware of it but It's only in the last 50 years that biologists have made real advances in understanding what is the aging process. It's not just wear and tear. It's much more complicated than that. And what is the aging process?

rather than a finality so it is a question that's bothered us ever since we became aware of it but It's only in the last 50 years that biologists have made real advances in understanding what is the aging process. It's not just wear and tear. It's much more complicated than that. And what is the aging process?

Why is it that some species live for a day or two and others live for several hundred years or possibly, in the case of plants, even a thousand years or more? And why is there this huge spread? What causes that? What causes us to eventually die? It's a big existential question. Then there's a practical thing, which is societies are getting older. And as societies age, what happens is that

Why is it that some species live for a day or two and others live for several hundred years or possibly, in the case of plants, even a thousand years or more? And why is there this huge spread? What causes that? What causes us to eventually die? It's a big existential question. Then there's a practical thing, which is societies are getting older. And as societies age, what happens is that

you have to deal with an aging population because fertility rates are going down. The population distribution is being more and more shifted towards older age groups. And if these older people require lots of care or poor health, that's not great either for them or for society. And so there's a big push from governments to do something about improving health in old age.

you have to deal with an aging population because fertility rates are going down. The population distribution is being more and more shifted towards older age groups. And if these older people require lots of care or poor health, that's not great either for them or for society. And so there's a big push from governments to do something about improving health in old age.