Is evolution predictable? with Simon Conway Morris | Reason with Science | Emergence | Convergence

About this episode

The episode discusses the predictability of evolution with Simon Conway Morris, focusing on convergence and its implications for life and intelligence.

Is evolution predictable? The guest for this podcast is with Simon Conway Morris, Professor of Evolutionary Palaeobiology at the University of Cambridge. Famous for his work on the Cambrian explosion and the concept of evolutionary convergence, Conway Morris has written influential books including Life’s Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe, The Runes of Evolution, and From Extraterrestrials to Animal Minds. In this conversation, we talk about why convergence — the independent evolution of similar traits across unrelated species — offers evidence for deep constraints on the evolution of life. We’ll discuss major evolutionary transitions such as the origin of eukaryotes, sudden explosions of complexity, and the narrow “design space” within which evolution operates. We’ll examine whether traits like intelligence and consciousness are inevitable, why extinction often leads to familiar replacements, and how evolution’s predictability might extend to technology, culture, and even artificial intelligence.As Conway Morris provocatively asks: “If we replayed the tape of life, would we still end up with eyes, wings, minds—and perhaps even something like us?” This episode…

People in this episode

Host: Jitender Kumar

Guest: Simon Conway Morris

Topics covered

• evolution
• predictability
• convergence
• intelligence
• extinction
• complexity

Keywords

• evolution
• predictability
• convergence
• intelligence
• extinction
• Cambrian explosion
• eukaryotes
• design space
• artificial intelligence

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Cambridge

Books & works: Life’s Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe, The Runes of Evolution, From Extraterrestrials to Animal Minds

More episodes of Reason with Science

• Why evolution explains more than we think · December 12, 2025 · 1h 3m
• How sleep shapes the developing Brain with Mark Blumberg I Infant sleep neuroscience I Podcast · November 29, 2025 · 1h 24m
• The Metabolic Truth: Rethinking Calories and Energy with Herman Pontzer | Lifestyle | Health | Food · October 18, 2025 · 1h 16m
• Predicting future of the Planet with J. Doyne Farmer I Reason with Science | Complexity Economics · October 14, 2025 · 1h 10m
• How nature builds complexity | Ricard Solé | Reason with Science | Liquid brains | Synthetic worlds · July 26, 2025 · 1h 51m
• Human evolution and culture with Agustín Fuentes | Reason with Science | Creativity | Cooperation · July 18, 2025 · 1h 7m