Bridging the Gaps: A Portal for Curious Minds

We are entering a new era of space exploration—one in which, for the first time, large numbers of people may travel beyond Earth. Some may even choose to remain there. This raises important questions: how will the extreme conditions of space affect the human body and mind? What can spacefaring individuals expect during journeys to an orbiting station, the Moon, or Mars?

Looking further ahead, what might happen to children born on another planet? Could they gradually evolve into a distinct human variant? Would adaptation occur naturally through evolution, or might advances in genetic engineering enable more rapid, intentional changes to help humans thrive in unfamiliar environments?

In Becoming Martian, Scott Solomon examines how humanity’s expansion into space could reshape both our physiology and psychology. The book explores how life beyond Earth may influence future generations, as well as the potential unintended consequences of establishing human settlements in space. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with Professor Scott Solomon about these ideas.

Scott Solomon is a biologist, science communicator and a teaching Professor at Rice University in Houston. He is also a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. He is also the host of the podcast Wild World with Scott Solomon.

We begin our discussion with a set of timely and relevant questions surrounding humanity’s renewed interest in returning to the Moon. We explore the motivations behind this shift, considering both the rapid advancement of new technologies that make such missions feasible and the emergence of a new space race shaped by evolving geopolitical dynamics.

From there, we turn our attention to NASA’s Space Launch System and the broader Artemis program, including its planned missions and long-term objectives. This leads into a wider discussion about humanity’s future in space.

We then examine the physiological effects of space travel, particularly for missions in which humans return to Earth. Topics include the impact of prolonged exposure to microgravity on muscle mass, bone density, and other aspects of human health.

Shifting to a longer-term perspective, we consider what will happen when humans travel to destinations such as the Moon, Mars, and beyond with the intention of establishing permanent settlements. We explore how such environments may affect human biology and what it means to live outside Earth’s uniquely supportive ecosystem.

The conversation also delves into the challenges of sustaining life in environments devoid of existing biological systems. We discuss, in detail, the complexities of human reproduction in space and how future generations might develop under such conditions.

Finally, we examine both the natural adaptability of humans and the role of cutting-edge genetic research in potentially enabling us to survive—and even thrive—in entirely new environments. Overall, the discussion is deeply engaging, thought-provoking, and highly informative.

Complement this discussion with ““Off-Earth: Ethical Questions and Quandaries for Living in Outer Space” with Dr Erika Nesvold” available at:
https://www.bridgingthegaps.ie/2024/04/off-earth-ethical-questions-and-quandaries-for-living-in-outer-space-with-dr-erika-nesvold/

And then listen to ““A Traveller’s Guide to the Stars” with Physicist, Author and Nasa Technologist Les Johnson” available at:
https://www.bridgingthegaps.ie/2023/03/a-travellers-guide-to-the-stars-with-physicist-author-and-nasa-technologist-les-johnson/

The idea that evolutionary theory applies far beyond biology is not new. Yet one major obstacle to the broader acceptance of a generalised evolutionary theory is our tendency to begin with biology and extend outward from it. This approach obscures an important historical fact. Long before scientists developed theories to explain the evolution of life, scholars in fields such as linguistics, economics, and technology had already proposed ideas about change that were evolutionary in the modern sense.

The evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould even suggested that “Darwin may have cribbed the idea of natural selection from economics.” Beginning with biology can create the misleading impression that evolutionary processes in areas such as language, technology, or economics are weaker or derivative forms of evolution. In reality, evolutionary processes are largely independent of the substrate on which they operate. They generate diverse outcomes—organisms, technologies, and cultural practices—that are well adapted to particular functions.

In his book Everything Evolves: Why Evolution Explains More than We Think, from Proteins to Politics, Professor Mark Vellend shows how evolutionary dynamics shape many aspects of the world around us. He also explores how evolutionary principles are being applied to practical challenges, from increasing the global food supply to developing artificial intelligence systems that can evolve solutions to complex problems.

In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with Professor Mark Vellend.

Mark Vellend is a professor of biology at Université de Sherbrooke and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

We begin our discussion with an intriguing idea from the book: reality can be understood through two broad sciences. The first is physics. The second is the science of evolvable systems. We explore this distinction in detail.

We then turn to the concept of generalised evolutionary theory and discuss why it is important to communicate this broader framework to a wider audience. In this context, we also touch on the argument that the strong emphasis on Darwin can sometimes be a distraction from the larger evolutionary perspective.

Next, we examine several examples that illustrate how generalized evolutionary processes allow different artifacts and systems to evolve over time. We then discuss a framework presented in the book that explains how generalized evolution operates. This framework is described using the metaphor of a soundboard, where each knob represents a distinct variable in the evolutionary process. We explore this “Evolutionary Soundboard” in detail.

Our conversation then turns to the role of randomness and the ways systems can improve over time through deliberate design. We also discuss the importance of diversity, which enables and sustains evolutionary processes.

Overall, the discussion is both engaging and informative, raising a number of thought-provoking ideas.

Complement this discussion with ““The Evolution of Biological Information: How Evolution Creates Complexity, from Viruses to Brains” with Professor Christoph Adami” available at:
https://www.bridgingthegaps.ie/2024/12/the-evolution-of-biological-information-christoph-adami/

And then listen to ““The Network of Life: A New View of Evolution” with Professor David Mindell” available at:
https://www.bridgingthegaps.ie/2024/10/the-network-of-life-a-new-view-of-evolution-with-professor-david-mindell/

The metaverse is no longer a distant concept. It is unfolding now, driven by advances in artificial intelligence, big data, and immersive digital technologies. As it reshapes how we work, interact, and create value, it presents significant opportunities alongside growing competitive pressures. In the book “Building a Thriving Future: Navigating the Metaverse and Multiverse” Harvard researcher and AI strategist Dr. Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio provides the first strategy-focused guide designed for business leaders, policymakers, and decision-makers navigating this transformation. The book emphasizes that the metaverse is not simply about virtual environments. It represents a broader transformation of business, governance, and global markets. Organizations that combine AI, behavioral insights, and digital strategy will be the ones that define the future. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps I speak with Dr. Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio.

Dr Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio is an expert on AI and Big Data, Behavioral Science and Future of work. She holds dual appointments at Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School of Government, where she chairs the Executive Leadership Research Initiative for Women and Minority Attorneys (ELRIWMA). She is also a vice chair for the Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds and AI and leads Sustainability for AI, Big Data, and Metaverse regulation at the UN’s International Telecommunication Union. She is the CEO of People Culture Data Consulting Group.

We begin by acknowledging that virtual worlds are not a new concept. What is new, however, is the rapid advancement of hardware, big data, and AI, which is making the metaverse far more powerful and practical. We then examine why the metaverse should be understood as a critical development for business and organizational strategy. It is not just a technological trend, but a structural shift in how value is created and managed. We also explore how technologies such as blockchain can strengthen digital ownership and enable more secure, efficient trading within virtual environments. An important point we address is that, when developing business solutions for virtual worlds, organizations must give careful attention to diversity, inclusion, and equal access. Overall, the conversation offers a clear and insightful look at the strategic implications of the metaverse.

Complement this discussion with ““The Line: AI and the Future of Personhood” with Professor James Boyle” available at:
https://www.bridgingthegaps.ie/2025/04/the-line-ai-and-the-future-of-personhood-with-professor-james-boyle/

And then listen to ““From Pessimism to Promise: Lessons from the Global South on Designing Inclusive Tech” with Professor Payal Arora” available at:
https://www.bridgingthegaps.ie/2024/10/from-pessimism-to-promise-lessons-from-the-global-south-on-designing-inclusive-tech-with-professor-payal-arora/

Our ability to live for many decades is often viewed as a modern luxury made possible by clean water, improved living conditions, and advances in medicine. Yet, human longevity is actually part of our deep evolutionary history. The long-standing belief that life in the past was “nasty, brutish, and short” is a widespread misconception—one rooted in misleading averages and often repeated in textbooks and popular media.

In his book “Seven Decades: How We Evolved to Live Longer”, anthropologist Professor Michael Gurven challenges this myth. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, he presents compelling evidence that the capacity for long life first emerged among our hunting and gathering ancestors and argues that the human body is fundamentally designed to function for roughly seven decades. Combining vivid storytelling with rigorous science, Gurven shares insights from years of research among Indigenous societies whose diets and traditional ways of living more closely resemble how humans lived before industrialization. These communities, he shows, experience far lower rates of chronic diseases of aging—such as heart disease, dementia, and diabetes—than populations in industrialized nations.

In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with Professor Michael Gurven, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. For more than twenty years, he has worked closely with Indigenous groups in South America to better understand how traditional lifestyles can shed light on the evolution of human behavior, health, and psychology. His research uses an evolutionary framework to help explain modern health challenges and the origins of chronic diseases.

Our conversation offers a detailed exploration of the book and the science behind it. We begin by examining the myth that ancient people rarely reached old age, discussing how misleading averages have shaped this false narrative and why it is important to correct it. We then talk about a central idea in the book: that each stage of human life has an evolutionary purpose, and our bodies and minds have been shaped accordingly.

Another major theme is the evolutionary significance of post-reproductive life. While some biologists have argued that life after reproduction has no adaptive function, Gurven’s work shows that midlife and elderhood evolved for meaningful reasons and contribute to group survival.

At this point, the discussion turns to his fieldwork—what it is like to work with Indigenous communities, the unique challenges of this research, and how these challenges are addressed in study design and implementation. We then explore key findings from his work, including results that challenge assumptions in modern medicine. Gurven explains what these insights can teach us about improving healthcare and rethinking aging in contemporary societies.

Finally, we discuss the book’s broader message: that by understanding our evolutionary past, we can gain powerful new perspectives on aging, health, and what it means to live a long, meaningful, and productive life.

This conversation is wide-ranging, thorough, and deeply informative.

Complement this discussion with ““The Human Journey From Ape to Agriculture” with Professor Peter Bellwood” available at:
https://www.bridgingthegaps.ie/2025/06/the-human-journey-from-ape-to-agriculture-with-professor-peter-bellwood/

And then listen to “The Evolution of Knowledge and Rethinking Science for The Anthropocene with Professor Jürgen Renn” available at:
https://www.bridgingthegaps.ie/2020/06/the-evolution-of-knowledge-and-rethinking-science-for-the-anthropocene-with-professor-jurgen-renn/

As artificial intelligence takes on a growing role in decisions about education, jobs, housing, loans, healthcare, and criminal justice, concerns about fairness have become urgent. Because AI systems are trained on data that reflect historical inequalities, they often reproduce or even amplify those disparities. In his book “AI Fairness: Designing Equal Opportunity Algorithms” Professor Derek Leben draws on classic philosophical theories of justice—especially John Rawls’s work—to propose a framework for evaluating the fairness of AI systems. This framework offers a way to think systematically about algorithmic justice: how automated decisions can align with ethical principles of equality and fairness. The book examines the trade-offs among competing fairness metrics and shows that it is often impossible to satisfy them all at once. As a result, organizations must decide which definitions of fairness to prioritize, and regulators must determine how existing laws should apply to AI. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with Derek Leben.

Derek Leben is Professor of Business Ethics at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. As founder of the consulting group Ethical Algorithms, he has worked with governments and companies to develop policies on fairness and benefit for AI and autonomous systems.

I begin our discussion by asking Derek what “AI” means in the context of his work and how fairness fits into that picture. From there, we explore why fairness matters as AI systems increasingly influence critical decisions about employment, education, housing, loans, healthcare, and criminal justice.

We discuss how historical inequalities in training data lead to biased outcomes, giving listeners a deeper understanding of the problem. While some view AI fairness as a purely technical issue that engineers can fix, the book argues that it is also a moral and political challenge—one that requires insights from philosophy and ethics. We then examine the difficulty of balancing multiple fairness metrics, which often cannot all be satisfied simultaneously, and discuss how organizations might prioritize among them. Derek explains his theory of algorithmic justice, inspired by John Rawls’s philosophy, and we unpack its key ideas.

Later, we touch on questions of urgency versus long-term reform, exploring the idea of longtermism, and discuss the tension between fairness and accuracy. Finally, we consider how businesses can balance commercial goals with their broader social responsibilities.

Overall, it is an informative and thought-provoking conversation about how we can make AI systems more just.

Complement this discussion with ““The Line: AI and the Future of Personhood” with Professor James Boyle” available at:
https://www.bridgingthegaps.ie/2025/04/the-line-ai-and-the-future-of-personhood-with-professor-james-boyle/

And then listen to “Reclaiming Human Intelligence and “How to Stay Smart in a Smart World” with Prof. Gerd Gigerenzer” available at:
https://www.bridgingthegaps.ie/2023/04/reclaiming-human-intelligence-and-how-to-stay-smart-in-a-smart-world-with-prof-gerd-gigerenzer/