Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Is evolution really a blind, random process?
In this conversation, Professor Denis Noble (University of Oxford) speaks with Professor James Shapiro (University of Chicago) about a radically different view of how evolution works.
Drawing on decades of research—from Barbara McClintock’s discovery of mobile genetic elements to Shapiro’s concept of “natural genetic engineering”—this discussion challenges the conventional gene-centric view of Neo-Darwinism.
They explore:
• Whether evolution is truly random
• How organisms can actively restructure their own genomes
• Horizontal (lateral) gene transfer across cells and species
• Why the idea of “junk DNA” may be fundamentally flawed
This conversation raises a deeper question:
Have we misunderstood evolution itself?
—
Voices from Oxford is a platform for conversations with leading thinkers in science, philosophy, and academia.
Subscribe for more conversations that challenge how we understand the world.
Is evolution really a blind, random process?
In this conversation, Professor Denis Noble (University of Oxford) speaks with Professor James Shapiro (University of Chicago) about a radically different view of how evolution works.
Drawing on decades of research—from Barbara McClintock’s discovery of mobile genetic elements to Shapiro’s concept of “natural genetic engineering”—this discussion challenges the conventional gene-centric view of Neo-Darwinism.
They explore:
• Whether evolution is truly random
• How organisms can actively restructure their own genomes
• Horizontal (lateral) gene transfer across cells and species
• Why the idea of “junk DNA” may be fundamentally flawed
This conversation raises a deeper question:
Have we misunderstood evolution itself?
—
Voices from Oxford is a platform for conversations with leading thinkers in science, philosophy, and academia.
Subscribe for more conversations that challenge how we understand the world.
