From fruit flies to snake venom, evolutionary biologist Sean B. Carroll explains the genetic toolkit that drives evolution and the hidden rules behind nature’s creativity. How does evolution invent entirely new things, like limbs, wings, and venom? Evolutionary biologist Sean B. Carroll explains how the same set of genes can build wildly different creatures — from fruit flies to lobsters — simply by rewiring their genetic circuits. Discover why developmental biology holds the key to understanding evolution, how snake venom evolved, and why medicines like GLP-1 drugs and statins trace their origins to nature’s own innovations. Plus, what the emergence of new species tells us about life’s future and the surprising power of evolution to repurpose old parts in new ways. 🎧 Available on your favorite podcast platforms Amazon Music: Spotify: Apple Podcasts: If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback helps new listeners find the show and allows us to continue creating great science content. Thank you for your support! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Chapters: 00:00:00 How Does A New Species Evolve? 00:13:16 The Process of Speciation: Use It or Lose It 00:36:44 The Development Process: What the Fruit Fly Taught Us 00:54:53 The Evolution of Defense Mechanisms & Developing Medications 01:19:12 The Role of Chance in Evolution Sean B. Carroll is a renowned evolutionary biologist and author whose work has inspired a deeper public understanding of evolution and the natural world. He is an Investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), where he was formerly Head of HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, and led the Department of Science Education from 2010-2023. He is also a Professor of Biology at the University of Maryland. His research focuses on genes that influence the evolution of animal diversity. "Particles of Thought" is hosted by Hakeem Oluseyi, an astrophysicist, author, STEM educator, multi-patented inventor, science journalist, TV personality, science communicator, and inspirational speaker. His research is based on "hacking stars" to understand our universe better and develop innovative new technologies. Oluseyi's work has resulted in 11 patents and more than 100 publications covering contributions to astrophysics, cosmology, and plasma physics and the development of space missions, observatories, focal plane instruments, detectors, semiconductor manufacturing, and ion propulsion. #podcast #sciencepodcast #evolution #biodiversity 📰 Stay up to date on the latest science discoveries, full episodes, articles, videos, and more by signing up for NOVA's newsletter here: 🛍️ Shop official NOVA 50th anniversary merch: Follow on social for more NOVA content Twitter: Instagram: TikTok: @novapbs