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Asimov Press

Audio recordings of Asimov Press essays and science fiction, focused on the science and technologies that promote a flourishing future.

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24 episodes
Avg 23 min
English

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October 19 · 19 min
A Recipe for Cells
By breaking cells apart, all the way down to molecules, researchers hope to recreate the recipe from which they are built. But their efforts may prove futile. The latest essay from our ongoing book, "Biology is a Burrito," by Niko McCarty. Read all our work, entirely for free, at press.asimov.com.
October 12 · 23 min
Species Have Blurry Boundaries
A bacterium can acquire new genes without acquiring a new name, or acquire a new name without changing whatsoever. By Kevin Blake Read all our work at press.asimov.com
September 28 · 23 min
Great Leaps in Biological Theory
Two of biology’s greatest theories completely predate direct experimental evidence. Tracing their origins could help us understand how to make the next ones.
September 24 · 42 min
On the Role of Theory in Biology
Biology is often seen as a primarily experimental science, with theory serving merely to generalize patterns from empirical data. But history reveals that theory plays a more generative role in the process of biological discovery itself.
April 7 · 15 min
A Brief History of Bioinformatics Software
How computer scientists on the fringes of biology made sense of sequencing data. By Ella Watkins-Dulaney.
March 25 · 5 min
That's All, for Now
Asimov Press is pausing.
March 23 · 26 min
Designing AI for Disruptive Science
Why scaling AI won’t automatically lead to paradigm shifts. By Alvin Djajadikerta. Read all our work at press.asimov.com.
March 20 · 22 min
Culture Shift
We tend to think of fermented foods as something humans invented and then chose to eat. But the evidence shows the opposite: fermented foods shaped human biology. By Rachel Dutton. Read all our work at press.asimov.com.
March 18 · 19 min
Why Lab Coats are White
How a blood-stained surgeon's frock evolved into a pristine symbol of modern science. By Donna Vatnick Read all our work at press.asimov.com.
March 16 · 22 min
The Quest for Oral GLP-1s
In a recent survey, three-in-four respondents said they would prefer a once‑daily oral pill over a weekly injection of GLP-1s. So why aren't there more oral options? By David S. Kim Read all our work, for free, at press.asimov.com.
March 13 · 27 min
How Φ80 Infiltrates Research Labs
While some bacteriophages play vital roles in laboratory research, others are bent on sabotage. By Antoine Vigouroux. Read all our work, for free, at press.asimov.com.
March 9 · 27 min
Why Are Viral Capsids Icosahedral?
Viral capsid structure is a geometric packing problem under genetic constraints. By Ulkar Aghayeva Read all our work for free at press.asimov.com.
March 6 · 38 min
Dead Reckoning
Bioarchaeologists recently identified a murdered medieval royal. Now, they are trying to shed light on other ancient deaths. By David Brzostowicki Read all our work for free at press.asimov.com.
March 4 · 20 min
Working in Glass
How a twisted triangle of glass tubing helped democratize chemistry and build the modern laboratory. By Spencer Wright. Read all our work for free at press.asimov.com.
March 2 · 13 min
The Legibility Problem
What happens in a world where AIs make scientific discoveries that humans cannot understand? By Matthew Carter Read all our work at press.asimov.com.
February 22 · 20 min
The Origins of Agar
First introduced into laboratories in 1881, agar remains indispensable as a culture medium. By Corrado Nai. Read all our work, entirely for free, at press.asimov.com.
February 19 · 10 min
Baseline Drift
[Fiction] A eulogy to the reference human. By Eliomer H. Kaas. Read all our work, for free, at press.asimov.com.
February 16 · 33 min
Scent, In Silico
Once a primal instinct, olfaction is now being mapped, measured, and modeled by machines. By Taylor Rayne. Read all our work, entirely for free, at press.asimov.com.
February 12 · 9 min
Making the Vortex Mixer
The forgotten story of an invention found in every biology lab. By Ella Watkins-Dulaney. Read all our work, entirely for free, at press.asimov.com.
February 8 · 20 min
A Brief History of Xenopus
From early experiments on fertility and embryonic development to becoming the first cloned eukaryote from an adult cell, Xenopus frogs have had an outsized influence on the life sciences. By Matt Lubin. Read all articles, for free, by visiting press.asimov.com.

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