This episode explores the origin and significance of DNA — the molecular code that stores and transmits the instructions for all life. It begins with DNA’s structure and function, then traces its likely evolution from the simpler RNA molecule. The episode explains how DNA’s stability made it ideal for long-term genetic storage, and how the genetic code translates base sequences into proteins. It examines how mutations in DNA fuel evolution, and how all living organisms share variations of the same genetic language. From the discovery of the double helix to the Human Genome Project and modern gene-editing tools like CRISPR, the episode shows how DNA is not just a molecule but a living archive of biological history — one we’re only beginning to read and rewrite.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.