Do cells have goals? | with Melanie Challenger, Nick Lane & Philip Ball
Is purpose something our brains invented, or is it built into life itself? Three thinkers take on one of science's oldest unresolved questions: what does it mean to be alive? Author Melanie Challenger is joined by biochemist Nick Lane and science writer Philip Ball for a live inquiry that begins with Richard Dawkins's claim that nature exists without purpose, and asks whether recent biology points somewhere different.
Courtesy of The Royal Institution on YouTube. Watch on YouTube ↗
More Science & Tech Documentaries
Richard Dawkins: The Greatest Show on Earth2010•1h 1m•HD•★8.8
The Strange World of Nanoscience2012•17m•HD•★8.7
Through the Wormhole2012•45m•HD•★8.6
Rule from the Shadows: The Psychology of Power2014•37m•HD•★8.5
An Interview with the Winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics, John Martinis2026•58m•HD•★7.7
The South Pole (Full Episode) | Pole to Pole with Will Smith | National Geographic2026•46m•4K•★7.7
Wizards of Odds: The Power of Probability | World Science Festival2015•1h 24m•HD•★7.7
The Gravity Particle Should Exist. So Where Is It?2025•23m•HD•★7.7
Rewriting Evolution: The Rise of Synthetic Biology2025•53m•4K•★8.3
The Mysterious Arizona Meteorite That Baffled Experts2021•48m•HD•★8.0
The CRISPR Revolution: Hacking the Genetic Code2024•52m•HD•★7.9
The Craving Brain: Neuroscience of Uncontrollable Urges | World Science Festival2014•1h 27m•HD•★7.8