The Physical Constraints on Life and Evolution

Explore the fascinating world of scale science and its impact on life and evolution in this thought-provoking lecture. Delve into the physical constraints that shape the internal structure of bacteria and nucleated cells, and discover why certain organisms remain small while others grow to enormous sizes. Examine the evolutionary challenges that drove life's major transitions into increasingly complex forms, and uncover how these insights relate to our global economy. Learn about universal speed limits imposed on biology by energy requirements, and understand how organisms reallocate resources and alter body plans as they grow. Investigate the role of contingent history in limiting evolutionary options, and explore the tradeoffs between resiliency and efficiency that constrain both animal and human institutional strategies. Gain valuable insights from the study of germs and insects, and discover how scale science helps predict likely futures for our planet.