So, apparently, octopuses come from space. Or something. Emily and Chris chat about a ... curious ... paper that came out recently, which proposes an explanation for the Cambrian Explosion, the huge increase in diversity of life across the planet 500 million years ago. The suggested cause? Possibly viruses from space ... possibly octopus eggs in a meteor ... oh, who knows? It all seems a tad speculative but it's fun to discuss anyway.
SHOW NOTES
Syzygy is produced by Chris Stewart and co-hosted by Dr Emily Brunsden from the Department of Physics at the University of York.
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Emily at the University of York: www.york.ac.uk/physics/people/brunsden/
Chris online: kipstewart.com
Some of the things we talk about in this episode:
- The Octopuses from Space paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079610718300798
- Panspermia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panspermia
- Octopuses? Octopi? Octopodes? https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/explore/what-are-the-plurals-of-octopus-hippopotamus-syllabus
- Octopuses are awesome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCAIedFgdY0
- Octopuses are really awesome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG6JebW63f4
- Occam’s Razor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor