Is an Android Alive? Developmental Biologist Discusses What Makes Something a Living Thing on Short Wave Podcast

In our latest episode, we delve into the fundamental characteristics that define life – a topic dubbed the “List of Life”. The distinction between animate and inanimate entities is relatively straightforward; a kitten undeniably falls into the former category, while a grain of salt does not.

However, the line blurs when considering complex organisms such as viruses or artificial beings like futuristic android robots. In this exploration, developmental biologist Crystal Rogers and co-host Regina G. Barber dissect what constitutes life and engage in a Star Trek-inspired debate.

Tune in to Short Wave on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Should there be a particular topic you’d like us to address, feel free to reach out at shortwave@npr.org.

This episode was meticulously produced by Berly McCoy, skillfully edited by Gabriel Spitzer, and rigorously fact-checked by Anil Oza. The audio production was expertly handled by Josh Newell.