Big Biology

The Vital Question: The Chemistry of Early Life

01 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How did life originate on Earth? Why is it that eukaryotes but not bacteria or archaea evolved large size and complicated body forms? How likely is th...

From Steppe to Stable (Ep 143)

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow and when did humans domesticate the horse? How did horses sha...

Doctors by Nature (Ep 142)

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow do animals use medication and can humans learn from them? Wha...

Vulnerability in science and in genomes (Ep 141)

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What impact has the Trump administration had on biology and the scientific community? How do scientists study genomic adaptation and vulnerability?On ...

Biology outside the box (Ep 140)

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat’s the value of risk-taking in research? How is studying th...

Evolution across scales (Ep 139)

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow do non-adaptive processes shape biological diversity and comp...

The Origin of Us: Human Evolution

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Where, when, and how did Homo sapiens appear? What do we know about the complex set of ancestral hominins that preceded us? How recently did other hom...

Covid Conversations (Ep 138)

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What can we learn from the COVID-19 pandemic, and how do we apply that knowledge moving forward?On this special episode of Big Biology, we’re bringi...

Student Spotlight: Finding passion in science communication and advocacy (Ep 137)

24 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can grad students advocate for science policy? How can science communication make research more accessible and inclusive?On this episode of Big Bi...

The call of the wild (Ep 136)

03 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat role does media play in conservation efforts and inspiring f...

Not all heroes have spines (Ep 135)

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat biological "superpowers" do marine invertebrates possess? Wh...

#SaveNSF (Episode 134)

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why is the National Science Foundation important? What is the potential impact of the proposed budget cut to the NSF? How can we stand up for federall...

Microplastics, macro-problems (Ep 133)

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat are microplastics and why are they an issue for the environm...

Cover art behind the scenes: Feel the heat

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Watch how our amazing artist Keating Shahmehri created the cover art for our last episode "Feel the heat”. This is a public episode. If you'd like t...

Feel the heat (Ep 132)

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do scientists measure thermal tolerance and predict organismal responses in the wild? What kind of other data is needed to make predictive models ...

Secrets in the structure (Ep 131)

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow are new technologies allowing biologists to look beyond simpl...

Post-match chat: A direct hit

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this post-match chat, Marty and Cam discuss our most recent episode “A direct hit”, with guest Holden Thorp. This is a quickly evolving situati...

A Direct Hit (Ep 130)

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Will a change in policy at the National Institutes of Health derail science in the US? How does the “indirect cost rate” for federal research gran...

Behind the scenes audio

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Here’s a little sneak peek into what goes on behind the scenes when we choose a title for an episode. In this snippet, Cam and Marty discuss the tit...

Beaks on (fitness) peaks (Ep 129)

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhich factors lead to the evolution of reproductive isolation? Wh...

Homo pathogenesis (Ep 128)

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow does human behavior contribute to disease transmission? What ...

Devo-lutionary theory (Ep 127)

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat role does development play in evolution? How can biology inc...

What does it take to change the world? (Ep 126)

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow have organisms changed the Earth and what can humans learn fr...

A quiet place (Ep 125)

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How do natural selection and sexual selection interact? What can observing adaptive radiation in the wild teach us about evolution?On this episode, we...

Spiny, but social (Ep 124)

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat are spiny mice and why are they so social? What about their ...

The long and winding road (Ep 123)

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat was life like in wartime England for a young female scientis...

Ahead of the (thermal) curve (Ep 122)

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow do biologists study the influence of heat on organisms and ho...

Stickle-back to the future: experimental evolution in nature (Ep 121)

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Can we study evolution in the wild? Are some species “super-evolvers”?On the episode, we talk with Alison Derry, a professor of biology at the Uni...

Shifting mutational landscapes (Ep 120)

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is mutation bias and how can scientists study it? How does c...

Big Biology Presents: The Naked Scientists Podcast

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Big Biology we're sharing an episode from The Naked Scientists Podcast about how humans lost their tails.Humans, chimpanzees, gorilla...

Biology as its own metaphor (Ep 119)

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comAt what levels does causation happen in biology? Are metaphors us...

Dog in the Machine (Ep 118)

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow should biologists deal with the massive amounts of population...

The time of your life (Ep 117)

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow should we study complex biological networks? How do cells kee...

Rewilding biology (Ep 116)

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow do biologists strike a productive balance between descriptive...

Does a porpoise have a purpose? Agency and goals in evolution (Ep 115)

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is an agent, and does an organism have to be conscious to be...

How power explains the history of life (Ep 114)

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comIf the tape of life were replayed, how recognizable would today’...

Cephalopods: aliens among us (Ep 113)

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow are cephalopods like us, but also completely alien? How can t...

The Entangled Organism (Ep 112)

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comDoes biological plasticity have a cost? Are there evolutionary co...

Evolution of the Invaders (Ep 111)

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow do small, founding populations establish and thrive in new pl...

Tempest in a barcode: how rapidly can we (and should we) identify new species? (Ep 110)

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow do biologists categorize species? What’s the best and quick...

Nothing in biology makes sense except through time (Ep 109)

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow do living things exert agency in a world of strict physical a...

Cooperation versus conflict and the path to multicellularity (Ep 107)

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow can we reconcile the evolutionary problem of cooperation? Wha...

Long-term experimental evolution in the wild (Ep 106)

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Can we predict evolutionary outcomes if we know starting conditions? Do the products of evolution in nature differ from those studied in well-controll...

Follow the data: the search for COVID’s origin (Ep 105)

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, we talk with Alina Chan, postdoc at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and co-author with Matt Ridley of Viral: The Search for th...

Big Bio Bonus Episode: We’re Hiring!

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Season 6 of Big Biology will kick off at the beginning of September - woohoo! Before then, we have a quick message to share:We’re looking for a new ...

Little Biology: Why can’t I regrow my arm?

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why can some animals regrow limbs while others can’t? Will understanding regeneration in other vertebrates help us regrow arms one day?Our intern te...

Sleeping beauties: the mystery of dormant innovations in nature and culture (Ep 104)

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhere does biological innovation come from? Why do some innovatio...

Pest-o, change-o: how culture shapes our view of animal commensals (Ep 103)

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat makes a pest? Why are some animals revered in one culture an...

Inherency in evolution (Ep 102)

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is inherency? What are the potential flaws with our understa...

NEON: The promises and challenges of large-scale ecological research (Ep 101)

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is NEON? What hopes and concerns do we have for large-scale ...

A retrospective on agency (Ep 100)

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comBig Biology celebrates its 100th episode! You’re only 100 once...

Creativity and passion in science communication (Ep 99)

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comOn this episode, we take a break from the regular format to talk ...

There’s a thousand genes for that! (Ep 98)

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is the “infinitesimal model”? How has our understanding ...

Mutation bias in evolution: climbing Mount Probable (Ep 97)

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is mutation bias? How does it affect evolution?In this episo...

The network motifs that run the world (Ep 96)

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat are network motifs, and how and why do they matter to biolog...

Why are we like this? (Ep 95)

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhy do humans look so different from one another? Why do we have ...

Introducing: The Science of Everything

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Happy holidays from the Big Biology team! As a bonus episode this week, we are sharing Art's recent interview with James Fodor on The Science of Every...

Synthesizing life on the planet (Ep 94)

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat’s the smallest number of genes that cells need to grow and...

Assembling life in the universe (Ep 93)

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow will we find life beyond Earth? Can we use a molecule's compl...

A journey into the brilliant abyss (Ep 92)

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat hidden life lies at the bottom of the deep ocean? How do so ...

How stealth organs make super soldier ants (Ep 91)

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is eco-evo-devo? How can ants help us understand the evoluti...

Fabricated images threaten the integrity of Alzheimer’s research (Ep 90)

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat happens when potential fraud is detected in research papers ...

How one gene determines the fate of a food web (Ep 89)

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comCan genes in single species act as keystones in ecosystems? What ...

How I learned to stop worrying and follow the data (Ep 88)

22 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow much coffee should we drink? Is there a scientific way to hav...

Big Biology Trailer

19 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The biggest and best  biology and science podcast!! If you enjoy  science podcasts featuring in-depth conversations with scientists  subscribe now....

Life in the lab, are model organisms an asset or impediment to biology? (Ep 87)

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat are model organisms? Why have they been so important to biol...

Introducing Genetics Unzipped

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Season 5 of Big Biology starts next week, so this week we are thrilled to highlight Genetics Unzipped, another one of the great science podcasts out t...

Replaying the MP3 of Life (Episode 21 Re-release)

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhy do some rove beetles look like ants? Why do living things evo...

Containing Cancer with Squirrel Ecology (Ep 12 Re-release)

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWill cancer ever become just another chronic but manageable disea...

Shrimp Fight Clubs and Basic Science (Ep 6 Re-release)

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do mantis shrimp punch as fast as a bullet… underwater? How do they break open one of the toughest materials on earth?Tune into this podcast to ...

Bioelectric Computation (Ep 39 Re-release)

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow do animals construct tissues, organs, and limbs in the right ...

What the flux? The evolution of oxygen cascades (Ep 86)

23 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow do we properly study complex traits? How does organismal func...

Little Biology: Zombie Parasites

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What’s behind the infamous zombie ant story? How does a fungus take control of an insect? Are zombies common in nature? How do biologists study the ...

The rise of the mammals and fall of the dinosaurs (Ep 85)

09 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat makes a mammal a mammal? How did mammals survive the KT even...

Immune System: Make Love not War (Ep 8 Re-release)

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is there a constant battle between our immune system and pathogens? Does the fighting ever end? Does the immune system do more than just provide defen...

Fractals in the Foliage (Ep 84)

12 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat do plants, animals and even river systems have in common?Bra...

The Amazon in us (Ep 83)

28 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow does one of the most diverse groups on the planet, the ants, ...

Survival of the systems: The power of persistence (Ep 63 Re-release)

22 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comCan selection act on ecosystems, societies, or planets such that ...

Organisms are not machines (Ep 82)

14 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhy shouldn’t we think of living things as machines? What is an...

How staying cool blunts evolution (Ep 81)

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhy are tropical mountain passes ‘higher’ than temperate ones...

Human-wildlife conflict in a changing world (Ep 80)

17 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is the link between climate change, declining wildlife popul...

How the genetic lottery affects complex human traits (Ep 79)

03 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comDoes our DNA matter for our life outcomes? Can and should we use ...

The amphibian omnivore’s dilemma: Plasticity-led evolution in spadefoot tadpoles (Ep 78)

17 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat roles does plasticity play in evolution?  Where does novelt...

A (Very) Short Interview with Henry Gee: 4 Billion Years in 30 Minutes (Ep 77)

03 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow did life on Earth get from its humble beginnings to the dazzl...

Beasty beats: The origins of musicality (Ep 76)

20 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comDo animals dance to the beat? When is birdsong music for a bird? ...

Hidden network: The evolutionary relationship between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plants (Ep 75)

06 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat rules dictate trade in symbiosis? How did the complex relati...

Big Biology Year End Wrap-Up

30 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Holidays from Big Biology! In our year end wrap-up episode, meet the team behind the podcast and hear our picks for favorite episodes and moment...

Food for thought: Plant domestication and the promise of green super rice (Ep 74)

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow and when did early humans domesticate the plants that we use ...

A gene’s-eye view: Useful tool or narrow lens? (Ep 73)

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comAre genes the primary units of selection and main drivers of adap...

Stability and change: Lessons from the Serengeti (Ep 72)

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhy is the Serengeti such a special ecosystem? Why does it suppor...

Please don't kill the bats! (Ep 5 Re-release)

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do diseases spread from animals to humans? Is it possible to forecast where disease outbreaks will occur and when they will blow up into major hea...

A tattoo on the brain: The neurobiology of Alzheimer's disease (Ep 71)

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat causes Alzheimer’s disease? Why are some people more at ri...

The virus and the vegan: How the brain gains inference (Ep 70)

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is the free energy principle? How do our brains use active i...

Butterfl-eyes: The evolution and function of insect vision (Ep 69)

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat does the world look like through insect eyes? What biologica...

Performance anxiety: How coastal invertebrates cope with changing climate extremes (Ep 68)

02 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat do we mean by ‘extreme ecological events’? What’s more...

Season 4 Preview (and more)

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Season 4 of Big Biology will kick off at the end of August. Before then, Art and Marty have a few updates to share:We're looking for new interns to jo...

Foiling the flashy: How artificial light dims insect behavior (Ep 67)

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comIs artificial light at night partly responsible for insect declin...

Old vaccines for new pandemics (Ep 66)

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat has COVID-19 taught us about preparing for future epidemics?...

Mouse on a hill: The structure and function of agency (Ep 65)

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is agency? How does it evolve? Do non-living things have age...

The stall protocol: Diapause in the annual killifish (Ep 64)

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow do organisms cope with long periods of tough conditions where...