184 - Henry Gee on The History & Future of Life on Earth (& Much Else!)

Humans On The Loop

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184 - Henry Gee on The History & Future of Life on Earth (& Much Else!)

Michael Garfield

Mar 28, 2022

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I don't even know where to start with this amazing episode. Henry Gee is the Senior Editor of Nature, the author of many cool science books including his latest, A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth; an accomplished musician; a riveting storyteller and humorous fellow; the Founding Editor of Nature's Futures sci-fi series; and a total joy in conversation. We met to discuss his brilliant tour of evolutionary history past and future, and did, but also occupied a fair bit of our two hours together sharing stories about paleontologists, talking music, gabbing about our love of science fiction, and being ridiculous.

I've decided to not bother editing this one because (1) I'm finally getting bold enough to give not-editing a shot; and (2) it was SO VERY ENJOYABLE that I am not sure I could survive a second listen without a second conversation already on the calendar. Consequently, you don't get the normal intensely-detailed show notes, but among the many things we discusses are: synthesizers; feathered dinosaurs; symbiosis as the defining feature of the future of the biosphere; the relationship between good science and good science fiction; why Olaf Stapledon is one of the most important sci-fi authors of the 20th Century; and as I've already said, much else.

Look down below for a heap of related episodes if this one lights a fire in your mind...

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Special thanks to the Riancarnation Podcast community for their financial support!

✨ Music by Michael Garfield

Intro: "Lambent" from my 2016 album Little Bird & The Eschaton.

Outro: "City of Jewels" from my 2013 City of Jewels EP.

None of it appears in this episode, but you should totally check out my latest live album, recorded at Meow Wolf Santa Fe while opening for DeVotchKa.

✨ If you like this one, you should go back and listen to these as well:

Complexity Podcast 80 - Mingzhen Lu on The Evolution of Root Systems & Biogeochemical Cycling

4 - Bruce Damer (Asteroid Mining & Origins of Life)

9 - Ashley Dawson (Mass Extinction)

13 - Rupert Till aka Dr. Chill (Ancient Audio & Future Ritual)|

55 - "Creativity & Catastrophe" (Talk at Burning Man 2017)

64 - Barry Vacker (Our Destiny in Space & Sci Fi's Failures of Imagination)

70 - Steve Brusatte on The Golden Age of Dino-Science!

73 - Patricia Gray on BioMusic, The New Science of Our Musical Brains & Biosphere

100 - The Teafaerie on DMT, Transhumanism, and What To Do with All of God's Attention

109 - Bruce Damer on The Origins and Future of Life

114 - Bernie Taylor on The Prehistoric Art of El Castillo & An Ancient Hero's Journey