RNA self-replication, rice genetics and AI hallmarks: Inside Science overview

In this Inside Science episode, researchers report the smallest self-replicating RNA molecule in vitro, offering clues about how chemistry could have preceded biology. Separately, a study identifies a natural variant in rice that maintains shoot growth under low nitrogen, boosting grain yield by about 24% in field conditions. The program also debates AI reliability, with Oxford professor Michael Wooldridge arguing that current models are tools, not minds, and features a geology detective story on the “great unconformity.” A playful analysis of squeaky basketball shoes reveals the resonant frequency of shoe soles as the culprit behind the familiar sound, illustrating how everyday phenomena can illuminate physics.

RNA self-replication and the origin of life

The episode opens with a Cambridge lab demonstration of a small, self-replicating RNA molecule produced in vitro, a finding discussed with Philip Ball, a leading science writer. The conversation covers why self-replication in RNA is compelling for origin-of-life questions, the limits of what this single property can tell us about the emergence of life, and how evolution in a test tube can push the research forward without claiming a complete solution to LUCA. A highlighted quote from Ball captures the sense of cautious excitement:
""this is very interesting work, because it gives a clue to how before there was life on Earth, molecules might have been able to make copies of themselves" - Philip Ball, science writer.

Rice genetics and nitrogen-use efficiency

Roland Pease introduces a study led by Zhi Qi and colleagues that scanned more than 3,000 natural rice varieties to identify a regulator gene, Rincode 1A, linked to a higher stable root-to-shoot ratio under low nitrogen. The researchers demonstrate two approaches: overexpressing the gene and incorporating the elite haplotype via traditional breeding to improve nitrogen-use efficiency and grain yield. In field trials, the improved variety showed markedly higher grain yield under low nitrogen inputs, with a measured ~24% increase in yield in distinct field plots. A key quote from Qi emphasizes the practical impact:
"We screened over 3,000 natural rice varieties and identified a naturally occurring elite haplotype that enhances nitrogen-use efficiency and grain yield" - Zhi Qi, plant biologist, Oxford/Nanjing collaboration.

AI: expectations, architecture and hallucinations

The show shifts to computing with a discussion of Michael Wooldridge’s Royal Society Faraday Prize lecture on the nature of AI. Wooldridge argues that large language models (LLMs) are, at their core, unreliable tools that generate plausible but not guaranteed truth, highlighting the absence of a built-in notion of truth. The interview also touches the ethics of anthropomorphizing AI and whether new architectures might finally deliver reliable reasoning. A quote from Wooldridge:
"these are tools, there is no mind on the other side of the screen" - Michael Wooldridge, professor of computer science, University of Oxford.

Geology detective work: the great unconformity

Ange Ahuja, science columnist at the Financial Times, discusses the great unconformity—apparent missing chapters in Earth’s rock record. The segment explains how research suggesting tectonics and mountain-building events could have removed extensive rock layers reshapes the classic snowball-earth narrative. The detective-story tone illustrates how thermo chronology and rock dating help reconstruct the geologic past. A teaser quote from Ange:
"the great unconformity, missing chapters of Earth’s history" - Ange Ahuja, science columnist, Financial Times.

Teachable moments: squeaky basketball shoes

Finally, a lighter take examines why squeaks from basketball shoes occur. By studying the sole on a glass plate with light, researchers show waves propagating at about 300 km/h and a resonant frequency tied to the sole’s properties. The discussion ends with a call to educators to use such demonstrations to illustrate physics concepts in the classroom. A quoted line from Bart Weber:
"it’s like a tuning fork, and you have this resonant frequency of your basketball shoes" - Bart Weber, researcher, Netherlands.

Across these stories, the program connects molecular biology, crop genetics, AI reliability, deep time geology, and everyday physics to illuminate how science progresses through diverse methods and scales.