Dr. Betül Kaçar, an astrobiologist, advocates for a rethinking of how we perceive the past, arguing that it should not merely be viewed as a record of failures and successes. She proposes that instead, the past has an active role in shaping life today and future possibilities. At the University of Wisconsin, her lab's research into enzyme evolution demonstrates this belief by resurrecting ancient enzymes and examining their adaptations to environmental changes. Kaçar's unique perspective combines scientific inquiry with philosophical thought, emphasizing the importance of continuity and adaptation over time as pivotal in understanding life's processes.
I want to change the way we think about the past altogether. We think of it as some failed state, as if it's irrelevant. That's just not true.
The past isn't just a record of failure and success, but a living force that still shapes how life works today and how we think about what comes next.
Ignoring the past is like ignoring the most impressive dataset in existence: organisms and molecules that have survived more than 3 billion years of change.
By resurrecting ancient enzymes and tracing their evolution against environmental shifts, Kaçar and her team aren't just looking back - they're uncovering insights that could help us navigate an uncertain future.
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