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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO)

@drcsearl.bsky.social
286 followers 234 following 378 posts

Follow to learn the latest science on the nature of life and our place in the cosmos, from a molecular biologist. linktr.ee/mol_bio Find me on SubStack: substack.com/@drchrisearl?utm_sourc…

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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 33m
Great job congratulations on your 55th birthday
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 22h
🧪 Who is the Greatest Genius of all time? I am asking YOU because I have my own selection, and I'd love to know if anyone else has the same one. Please include both familiar and unfamiliar names, if you have them! From any walk of life artists, musician, scientist, philosopher... #science #philsky
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The painting described here inspired an amazing song by Queen on their album Queen II, a phenomenal album and Brian May’s favourite Queen album (mine too). The lyrics describe the characters and events in the painting it’s very clever. youtu.be/IGNILpVcgz4?...
youtu.be
Queen - The Fairy Fellers Master-Stroke (Official Lyric Video)
YouTube video by Queen Official
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
My new article "Non-toxic Masculinity" is free to access 👇 I explore a new breed of positive male role models from TV and film, including Ted Lasso and Walter Mitty. I also explore toxic power dynamics and the work of psychologist Alfred Adler, who tackled it. #science #MentalHealth #psychology
medium.com
Non-toxic masculinity
From Ted Lasso to Alfred Adler: the value of positive male role models
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I took some inspiration from the lyrics of both Queen ("The Show Must Go On") and Pearl Jam ("Sirens) which both have really existential lyrics, wonderful songs and good inspiration for this article about confronting the nature of our transient existence. #philosophy #philsky #existentialism
open.spotify.com
Life on Earth: An Island of Meaning Amidst the Darkness of Space
Dr Chris Earl MOL-BIO Podcast · Episode
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
For anyone who has experienced loss or confronted their own mortality, I hope these words 👇 give you comfort. This one means a lot to me. Earth is an Island of Meaning in the Vast Darkness of Space (my contribution from science to the world of existential thought). #philsky #philosophy #science
youtu.be
Life on Earth: An Island of Meaning Amidst the Darkness of Space
YouTube video by Dr. Chris Earl (MOL-BIO)
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
To those who have recently been saying young women are making disability their identity as some sort of online trend. You have no fucking idea. Chronic illness can dominate your life degrading the quality of your experience in every moment…
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
(1/2) It has been said: without delusion life can be a pretty “grim enterprise”. But when it comes to climate change and disability injustice (to name just 2) our inability to confront reality has gone too far. Note my own delusion in writing this comment by relying upon the words of…
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
🧪 (1/2) Reducing funding for medical and scientific research creates an environment of scarcity. This puts researchers into survival mode. That pressure gets in the way of reliable science which needs the freedom to fail and to have negative results. #science
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
We are concerned that A.I. may pose an existential threat but our history with technology is already fraught. WW1 the first post-industrial global conflict and then WW2 ending with the atomic bomb. Machines have always carried existential risk as well as a hope for a better present/future.
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
News stories this week warn that there is a 10% chance A.I. will wipe out all of humanity. But my concern isn't A.I. versus humans; instead, I'm worried about A.I. plus unscrupulous, self-serving humans who will sell out humanity for their own benefit. #AIApocalypse #Skynet #FutureOfHumanity
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Reposted by Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO)
Microbes.Info @microbesinfo.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
🦠💉 #Bangladesh’s #Measles #outbreak has killed nearly 1,000 people as falling #vaccination coverage fuels a major resurgence of the highly contagious #disease. #Infections #PublicHealth #Vaccines #Health #Microsky via @nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/b...
nbcnews.com
Suspected measles cases kill nearly 1,000 as Bangladesh struggles to contain outbreak
The South Asian nation, whose vaccine program has had setbacks, has been racing to halt the outbreak’s spread since March, when more than 100 children died in less than a month.
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
🧪 The World's Smallest Infectious Entity? The coconut cadang-cadang viroid (CCCVd) is the smallest known infectious pathogen: a tiny loop of RNA that causes a fatal disease in coconut palms. It isn't a virus; it is just a short piece of RNA, some 246 nucleotides long. #science #biology #genetics
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Reposted by Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO)
RCSB Protein Data Bank @rcsbpdb.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Ada Yonath obituary: Crystallographer who overcame ‘impossible’ challenge of mapping the ribosome Nobel laureate persisted despite widespread derision and revolutionized structural biology by protecting fragile crystals.
nature.com
Ada Yonath obituary: Crystallographer who overcame ‘impossible’ challenge of mapping the ribosome
Nature - Nobel laureate persisted despite widespread derision and revolutionized structural biology by protecting fragile crystals.
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
🧪 Did anyone know this one about the tragic life and death of Ludwig Boltzmann a giant of science. #chronicillness #MEcfs #science
youtube.com
The Tragic Story of Ludwig Boltzmann #science #history #physics #scienceshorts #historyofscience
YouTube video by Dr. Chris Earl (MOL-BIO)
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
What’s your best popular science book of all time? Curveballs and left-field shouts welcomed! I’ve given lots of answers to this in the past but Dawkins’ “Ancestors Tale” has to be up there. #science #booksky #writersky
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
(1/2) 🧪How does life emerge from the chaos of the molecular storm at the level of atoms and molecules? In this Podcast Episode, physicist Peter M. Hoffmann explains how life creates order from chaos through impressive molecular machines. #science #philsky #philosophy #physics #biology
youtu.be
The Physics of Life, Chaos and the Molecular Storm with Peter Hoffmann
YouTube video by Dr. Chris Earl (MOL-BIO)
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
🧪 I read the 50th anniversary edition of Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene (TSG) and made this podcast episode, now on Spotify. Co-host Maria is still drawn to TSG, but I have abandoned it altogether. What's everyone's thoughts? Is it still a good description of life? #science #philsky #evolution
open.spotify.com
The Selfish Gene- Dawkins' famous book at 50
Dr Chris Earl MOL-BIO Podcast · Episode
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
🧪 The Illusion of Meaning explores how philosophical understandings of life have missed major advances in molecular biology. If you like science, philosophy, and podcasts, then please follow me on Spotify (with Maria Briggs, too). #science #philsky #philosophy #existentialism
open.spotify.com
The Illusion of Meaning
Dr Chris Earl MOL-BIO Podcast · Episode
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
🧪 Alive by Melanie Challenger. An incredible book so far. It captures the changing way biologists are seeing life. But it’s written poetically, more like narrative non-fiction (but in science which is cool 🧬 ). Highly recommend. #booksky #writersky #science
canongate.co.uk
Alive by Melanie Challenger - published by Canongate Books.
Alive by Melanie Challenger - published by Canongate Books. A bold and beguiling journey into the unexpected interactions between organisms on our planet by award-winning researcher Melanie Challenger
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Really cool structure!
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Reposted by Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO)
Simon Glendinning @simonglend.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
If you haven’t already done so, please sign the petition to save the Philosophy programme at Dundee. c.org/5Smh96VnfG
c.org
Sign the Petition
Save the Philosophy Programme at Dundee University
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
None of my articles have gone viral but I’m still holding out that the AI rip off version (intellectual theft) of my work will have more success 🤣 I’m sure it’ll be more search engine optimised and have a catchier click bait title 🙄
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
🧪 Today, my copy of the book "The Mortal Atheist: A Secular Guide to Death and Meaning" by author V. Spohn arrives. I cannot wait. After checking out The Mortal Atheist website, it's right up my street: meaning, purpose, science, atheism. I think you'll love it. #atheism #science #meaning
themortalatheist.com
The Mortal Atheist
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
🧪 Is our inability to solve the origin of life evidence that it cannot be explained? Some think life is impossible and that a supernatural intelligence must have been responsible for its origins. In the free article I explain why this way of thinking is erroneous 👇 #science #atheism
medium.com
The Origin of Life on Earth
How Cells Emerged from Lifeless Matter
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
New article (free)👇I discuss how life may have originated on Earth🌏. I also make the important distinction between the actual emergence of life versus our capacity, within the limitations of our current science, to actually describe those events. #science #philsky #philosophy
medium.com
The Origin of Life on Earth
How Cells Emerged from Lifeless Matter
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Serious question. Is anyone okay?
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
This article I wrote draws inspiration from the bands Queen and Pearl Jam to explore the confrontation with death that each of us will experience. It's my most personal writing, and I hope you find it meaningful too. #science #philsky #philosophy #existentialism
medium.com
Amidst the Vast Darkness of Space
Earth is an Island of Meaning
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Reposted by Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO)
Microbes.Info @microbesinfo.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
🧫⚠️ A college laboratory exposure prompted 32 people to receive preventive #antibiotics after potential contact with a dangerous #bacterial pathogen ... #LabSafety #Plesiomonas #PublicHealth #Bacteria #Microsky via @arstechnica.com
arstechnica.com
College lab class ends with 32 people on antibiotics for deadly germ exposure
Lab students were supposed to ID a mild germ. They all identified a deadly pathogen.
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
The Fauci thing 🦠 Reviews of the pandemic response across the world (and popular commentators) diminished the biological impact of the virus so as to blame vaccines and lock-downs for all the negative impact. All while the virus continues to disable people including children. #virology #biology
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
On the value of Curiosity by Annelise Jolley. Curiosity. Flexibility in thinking. Viewing new information with a positive regard. We need a world with more curiosity please 🙏 #learning #education #meaning #philsky
templeton.org
Opening the Door to Lifelong Curiosity
Lifelong learning is one way to bring more delight into our ordinary lives. Jirout suggests seeking out new experience for the delight it elicits. And the practice has beneficial ripple effects on soc...
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
🌏 The 2026 El Niño event will be historical. The last remarkable, big historic El Niño in 1998 didn’t even raise the temperature to the basal level of our current globally warmed world. Now add an El Niño to that. #science #nature #climatechange
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Amidst the Vastness of Space: The Earth is an Island of Meaning. This is a bit different from me. Essentially a kind of death meditation for myself as the writer and you as the reader. Content warning: themes of death and despair. (New Free Article 👇) #philsky #existentialism #philosophy #writersky
open.substack.com
Amidst the Vast Darkness of Space
Earth is an Island of Meaning
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
🧪Did you know Wildfires can potentially create electrical storms? 🌩️ I explain how in the video 👇 Please follow if you like this kind of stuff. #science #wildfire #climatechange
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
The weather in Scotland has been remarkably dry and hot for an extended period. Yes, in Scotland ☔🌧️ This fire has been burning in the Cairngorm's National Park, it has just worsened due to change in wind direction and a lack of relief from the dry, hot weather. #science #climatechange #globalwarming
bbc.co.uk
Police declare 'major incident' as wind change increases Cairngorms wildfire risk
All residents in the village of Nethy Bridge have been evacuated over the threat the wildfire spreading.
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
🧪 Should scientists use the term religious? Prof Goodenough is a scientist 🔬 with no supernatural beliefs AT ALL. But uses the term religious to describe her deep, meaningful relationship with nature. Do you find the term religious to be off-putting? Full episode- youtu.be/JdTnp8eaq6Q?... #science
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
🔬Very excited to say I had my first special guest on my Podcast Prof Ursula Goodenough. It was a fascinating conversation about meaning, purpose, connection, all within an entirely non-supernatural, scientific worldview. What an incredible person she is. #science #atheism #religion #philsky
youtu.be
MOL-BIO Podcast- The Sacred Depths of Nature #science #atheism #religion #biology #microbiology
YouTube video by Dr. Chris Earl (MOL-BIO)
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
(1/2) Tomorrow I will be filming a Podcast Episode with Ursula Goodenough. This week I read her book "The Sacred Depths of Nature". It was fascinating, all about the science of life (Goodenough is a Professor of Biology) and how this relates to our sense of meaning. #science #biology #philsky
This is a picture of my copy of the sacred depths of nature next to my periodic table mug containing a house plant
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Incredible. Josh Kerr, in 3 min 42.66 seconds, breaks the world record for a mile, which had stood for 27 years. Previously held by Hicham El Guerrouj, a legend of athletics and still the world record holder for 1500m. A huge achievement for a Scottish athlete. #sport #athletics #scotland
bbc.co.uk
London Diamond League results: Josh Kerr smashes men's mile world record
Great Britain's Josh Kerr smashes the long-standing men's mile world record in a spectacular performance at the London Diamond League.
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
🧬 Life is strange. From the 8% of our human DNA that is virus sequences 🦠 to the ancient virus sequence that now encodes a protein which plays a crucial role in placental development (Syncytin-1). Or the bacteria that live inside our cells. #science #philsky
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
The Cyclospora Outbreak in the U.S.A. a foodborne illness spread by contaminated fresh produce (fruits, salads, fresh herbs). But the exact source is unknown. Symptoms can be mild or absent, but 86 hospitalisations have occurred. CDC info here: www.cdc.gov/cyclosporias... #microbiology #publichealth
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
🧪 My new podcast episode is live on YouTube: youtu.be/E6iTle1R4TM?... And on Substack: drchrisearl.substack.com/p/the-atheis... If you like science, philosophy, existentialism, self-help, and therapy, it's one for you. Have a listen while you clean the house? #science #philsky #existentialism
youtu.be
The Atheist’s Guide to Meaning and Purpose #science #atheism #existentialism #philosophy
YouTube video by Dr. Chris Earl (MOL-BIO)
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
My new article, "Atheist's Guide To Meaning...", is my attempt to understand the human predicament and our place in a vast cosmos. I wrote it after being left feeling wanting, reading some famous atheists like Dawkins and Alex Rosenberg. substack.com/home/post/p-... #atheism #philsky #science
There is no grand narrative to the cosmos, no preordained meaning to be found. The absurdity of life, the friction between our desire for meaning and the silence of the cosmos in response, is the result of our “over-evolved” consciousness. 

I hope that there may be solace to be found here that the need for a grand narrative, the emotional desire for one, is a cognitive illusion.
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
🧪 Check out my new article: “The Atheist’s Guide to Meaning and Purpose”. It’s the culmination of a long journey through science, philosophy, self-help, and ultimately a conversation with an existential psychotherapist. #science #philsky #atheism
open.substack.com
The Atheist’s Guide to Meaning and Purpose
A Journey toward the Meaning of Life through Science, Philosophy, and Therapy
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Good news, the WHO have declared that the Hantavirus outbreak associated with the cruise ship M/V Hondius appears to be over. A terrifying ordeal for all those involved. 13 people were infected, and sadly, 3 lost their lives. www.who.int/emergencies/... #microbiology #epidemiology #publichealth
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Reposted by Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO)
RCSB Protein Data Bank @rcsbpdb.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
#Hantavirus outbreak is over! In the meantime, PDB structures can help us better understand the virus More at Molecule of the Month: pdb101.rcsb.org/motm/319
pdb101.rcsb.org
PDB101: Molecule of the Month: Hantavirus
Family of rodent-borne viruses that can cause severe illness in humans
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Jordan Henderson got booked (yellow-carded) and injured his wrist last night for England against Mexico. But he didn't even play; he was an unused substitute! He got booked for being a nuisance on the touchline and got injured while celebrating.
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Reached 1 k subscribers on YouTube (just 3 days after hitting 500). This is key for monetising but currently I am at ~300 watch hours (it needs to hit 3000!!! 😲). check it out: youtube.com/@mol-bio This photo is from my last day in the lab in April, before this new life. #science #philsky
Lab book on desk next to computer and a periodic table housemate. This was me leaving on my last day of work.
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
🧪 For this week's Free STEM resources, we have a range of Open Access books by world-leading experts on current topics in science from @mitpress.bsky.social Find MIT Open Access books here: direct.mit.edu I'm particularly interested in the book by Ford Doolittle #science #STEM #evolution #philsky
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Dr Chris Earl (MOL-BIO) @drcsearl.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
🧪 Please check out my new YouTube video where I give my reactions to "The Story of Everything", a new intelligent design movie, and save you £12 in the process. Special guest appearance from the Flying Spaghetti Monster incl. #science #philsky #evolution #biology #edusky #scicomm
youtu.be
Atheist Reacts to new intelligent design movie
YouTube video by Dr. Chris Earl (MOL-BIO)
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