Quantum Biology with Professor Jim Al Khalili

Today I welcome the award-winning science communicator Professor Jim Al-Khalili to the podcast. Renowned around the world through his writing and broadcasting, he is also a leading academic making fundamental contributions to theoretical nuclear physics and quantum biology as you will hear. He is also host of the long running “Life Scientific” on Radio 4.

Today’s conversation is not just complex, it’s confusing. And you’ll probably gather throughout our chat, I was pretty confused. I do my best to breakdown the science for you as we progress through our conversation, but the validating message that Jim confirms is : “If you’re confused, You understand it!”

We talk about

Jim’s upbringing in iraq and what led him to physics
The Quantum vs Classic systems
Where Quantum physics has a role
Life on the Edge - one of the only books detailing Quantum Biology
Why Quantum Mechanics is so important
Some weird quantum effects such as entanglement and tunneling
Why Quantum mechanics has a role in biology
Heredity and how it is possible that replication occurs with so few errors
Where the boundary between classical and quantum systems exists
Quantum mechanics and Photosynthesis
Jim’s thoughts on Urban electromagnetic disruption
Human Consciousness
AI and humans
Artificial General intelligence versus machine learning
Jim’s latest grant to examine the borders between quantum and the classical world

You can read his book “Life on the Edge”, which is a fantastic historical look at how the quantum world has influenced biology and why it’s important.
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CHAPTERS:

Timecodes:
00:00 - Introduction
09:32 - Controversial Physics
23:26 Gene Mutations & Magnetic Fields
31:30 - What is Consciousness
44:43 - Will AI Take Over?
52:00 - Researching The Quantum World With $3 Million

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FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM Jim Al Khalili:

Twitter: @jimalkhalili
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Links:
Double slit experiment

Jim’s TED talk

Radio shows:

Jim’s lecture for The Royal Institute (2020)
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[tusker]

interesting stuff as always from Jim Kahlili! Great idea for the YouTube channel Rupy!

[iandonaldson]

A man walks up to a librarian and asks, "Do you have any books on Pavlov's dogs and Schrödinger's cat?" The librarian responds, "It rings a bell but I'm not sure if it's here or not."

[iranisrising]

Sorry but AGI is a lot closer than you understand.

[twerktospec]

I can tell this foo bullshitting.
I'm using quantum mechanics to reach that conclusion, so I can't explain HOW I know

[SourSweetDurban]

In the grand scale of the multiverse, we are sub atomic