Influencers on Earth and in Space: Social Media, Origins of Life, and Orbital Data Centers

In this episode, Leonardo and Francesca discuss social networks and orbital data centers. Leonardo begins by explaining how platforms like X (Twitter) can influence voters’ political choices through algorithmic or chronological feed selection.

Out in the field, we join Valeria as she interviews Edoardo Gianni, a researcher at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. Edoardo discusses self-replicating RNA as a potential origin of life on Earth. He explains what ribozymes are and highlights the unique properties of the QT45 ribozyme he discovered, with its activity detailed in a recent article in Science (https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adt2760).

We return to the studio for our usual “bad joke” and then hear from Francesca, who will talk about orbital data centers. She will analyze the challenges involved and explore the actual feasibility of these ambitious (and perhaps futuristic) projects.