Marcelo Gleiser: Astrobiology, The Miracle of Life, and How Science Actually Works

Have you ever wondered what our unique place is in this universe?   There is an intricate connection between humans, nature, and the universe, and that’s what my guest, Marcelo Gleiser and I dive into in this episode of the Darin Olien Show.    We also discuss how science actually works and  the importance of credibility and accuracy in scientific knowledge, how we can take active steps to mend our relationship with our home planet, and astrobiology – which is the study of life in the universe, as well as exploring the possibility of extraterrestrial life.    Marcelo Gleiser is a theoretical physicist and author of The DAWN of a Mindful Universe. He’s also a public intellectual at Dartmouth College working on basic research ranging from cosmology and applications of information theory to complex phenomena to history and philosophy of science and how science and culture interact. He is devoted to the public understanding of science and is a popular speaker with a strong social media presence and books published in 15 languages.    What we discuss:   (0:07:15) - The importance of credibility in science, the challenges of misinformation, and the evolving nature of scientific knowledge   (0:23:07) - The environmental crisis, the role of individual actions, and the power of education and collective change   (0:30:22) - The interconnectedness of humans and nature, the physiological benefits of being in nature, and the responsibility humans have to the universe   (0:46:37) - Tribalism, human interconnectedness, the changes brought about by the pandemic, and the power of the human spirit and consumerism   (0:57:12) - The realm of astrobiology, contemplating the uniqueness of humanity, the possibility of extraterrestrial life, and humanity's place in the universe   Thank you to our sponsors: Manna Vitality: Go to www.mannavitality.com and use code DARIN12 at checkout for 12% off. Tech Wellness: Go over to techwellness.com/darin and use code DARIN for 15% off. Therasage: Go to www.therasage.com and use code DARIN at checkout for 15% off   Find more from Marcelo Gleiser: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gleiserofficial/ Book link: https://tinyurl.com/2pjk8sjz Website: https://marcelogleiser.com/   Find more from Darin: Website: https://darinolien.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darinolien/ Book: https://darinolien.com/fatal-conveniences-book/ Down to Earth: https://darinolien.com/down-to-earth/