New Origin of Life Research Shows Alien Life may be Common with Dr. Steven Benner

New Origin of Life Research Shows Alien Life may be Common with Dr. Steven Benner

Author: John Michael Godier August 31, 2026 Duration: 1:03:04

A breakthrough in RNA research has been found, life may be far easier to get started than we previously thought possible.https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/ast.2022.0027Steven Benner heads the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, which he founded after serving on faculty at Harvard, ETH Zurich, and University of Florida. His research combines two traditions in science, one from natural history, the other from the physical sciences. His laboratory has been a leader in the field of synthetic biology, where it has redesigned DNA to better understand how these molecules work, generate new classes of diagnostics tools, and to open new avenues to disease therapy. Separately, he also created the field of paleogenetics, his work also guides NASA missions to search for alien life and how life originated. His most recent book is: "Life, the Universe, and the Scientific Method."


Curiosity about the cosmos often starts with a simple question, and that's where John Michael Godier's Event Horizon finds its rhythm. Hosted by author and futurist John Michael Godier, this podcast delves into the profound and the perplexing at the edges of our understanding. Each episode builds a narrative, weaving together discussions on astronomy, astrophysics, and the latest space science news with broader themes of technology, history, and futurism. The conversations are grounded by special guests who bring expertise and diverse perspectives, turning complex ideas into engaging explorations. You'll find the dialogue moves from the concrete details of scientific discovery to the speculative implications for our future, all with a thoughtful and accessible tone. This isn't just a recap of headlines; it's a deep dive into the context and consequences of what we're learning about the universe. For anyone who looks up at the night sky and wonders about black holes, the potential for life elsewhere, or where our technology might take us next, this podcast offers a compelling space to linger on those big ideas. The production emphasizes clarity and depth, making even the most daunting topics feel within reach. Tune in for a regular journey to the frontiers of science and human thought.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

John Michael Godier's Event Horizon
Podcast Episodes
Is the Warp Drive Possible? With Alexey Bobrick and Gianni Martire [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:45
Alexey Bobrick and Gianni Martire of Applied Physics join John Michael Godier to discuss their new paper, Introducing Physical Warp Drives. Can a Warp Drive Go Faster Than Light? What is a warp drive?Alexey Bobrick is a…
What Do We Do if They Are Here? with Avi Loeb [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:12
If UFO and UAP are of Alien origin, what do we do about it? Do we try to communicate? Or passively observe? Avi Loeb details the Galileo Projects plans.Avi Loeb linkshttps://projects.iq.harvard.edu/galileo/homehttps://av…
Is the Universe a Code? with Nick Bostrom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:57
Nick Bostromhttps://nickbostrom.com/Nick Bostrom is a Swedish-born philosopher with a background in theoretical physics, computational neuroscience, logic, and artificial intelligence, as well as philosophy. He is the mo…
The First Potential Detection of a Dark Matter Particle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:40
An exploration of the recent announcement of the first potential detection of a dark matter particle. My Patreon Page:https://www.patreon.com/johnmichaelgodierMy Event Horizon Channel:https://www.youtube.com/eventhorizon…
A.I. Wars, The Fermi Paradox and Great Filters with David Brin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27:44
Why we need AI to compete against each other. Does a Great Filter Stop all Alien Civilizations at some point? Are we Doomed if We Find Life in Our Solar System?David Brin is a scientist, speaker, technical consultant and…
Is There Oil on Mars? With Dr. John McGowan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:26
The curiosity rover detects methane on mars.Is methane on mars a sign of life?Mars is giving off a large amount of methane gas. Recently detected by the mars curiosity rover. This news gives new thoughts to old ideas abo…