information theory

Evolution is sometimes described -- not precisely, but with some justification -- as being about the "survival of the fittest." But that idea doesn't work unless there is some way for one generation to pass down information about how best to survive. We now know that such information is passed down in a variety of ways: through our inherited genome, through epigenetic factors, and of course through cultural transmission. Chris Adami suggests that we update Dobzhansky's maxim "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution" to "... except in the light of information." We talk about information theory as a subject in its own right, and how it helps us to understand organisms, evolution, and the origin of life.

Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2024/02/19/266-christoph-adami-on-how-information-makes-sense-of-biology/

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Christoph Adami received his Ph.D. in physics from Stony Brook University. He is currently professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics as well as Physics and Astronomy at Michigan State University. Among his awards are the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Artificial Life. His new book is The Evolution of Biological Information: How Evolution Creates Complexity, from Viruses to Brains.

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• Wikipedia

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In this episode, David Sinclair, Ph.D., a Professor in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging, returns to the podcast to discuss the content of his new book, Lifespan: Why We Age - and Why We Don’t Have To. This conversation focuses on the biological mechanisms involved in what David terms the Information Theory of Aging which provides insights into the “clock” that determines our aging and to what degree it can be manipulated. Our discussion on aging of course leads us into interconnected topics of epigenetics, sirtuins, cellular senescence, as well as what compounds David is personally taking for his own longevity. Additionally, we discuss the most up to date information related to NAD and longevity by looking at the potential benefits (if any) of supplemental agents (NAD precursors, NR, NMR, etc.) that pose a promise of increasing NAD.

We discuss:

• SIR genes and cellular identity [8:45];
  
• Sirtuins regulate gene expression [14:30];
  
• DNA is methylated at the deepest layer of the epigenome [17:45];
  
• Methylation pattern and determining cellular age [20:15];
  
• Cellular reprogramming [33:45];
  
• Yamanaka factors to push cells "back in time”  [41:00];
  
• Human cellular reprogramming viability [57:00];
  
• Measuring the rate of aging [1:02:45];
  
• Cellular reprogramming for longevity [1:14:45];
  
• Compounds David takes for his own longevity [1:29:15]
  
• NAD precursors (NR, NMN) and pterostilbene [1:40:00];
  
• The current field of sirtuin activators [2:03:15];
  
• David’s artistic work [2:05:15] and;
  
• More.

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Show notes page for this episode:https://peterattiamd.com/davidsinclair2/

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