Echidna egg evolution & AI changing suspicious minds
From Lost in Science by Chris Lassig, Stuart Burns, Claire Farrugia and Linden Ashcroft.
February 18, 2026
About this episode
This episode explores the evolutionary question of echidna eggs and how AI can help address conspiracy theories.
This week on Lost in Science, Claire dives headfirst into the evolutionary echidna-and-egg conundrum: which came first — the placental mammal or the mammalian egg of our humble monotreme cousins? Then Stu explores fascinating new research into how artificial intelligence might help bring people back from conspiracy theories — not by arguing louder, but by engaging directly with the evidence that convinced them in the first place. Can AI help untangle deeply held beliefs?
People in this episode
Hosts: Claire, Stu
Topics covered
- echidna evolution
- artificial intelligence
- conspiracy theories
Keywords
- placental mammals
- mammalian egg
- research
- evidence
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Lost in Science
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