Water: Action at a Distance, Light Speed Computation, Distributed Memory - Dr. Michael Hughes, #302

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Nov 25, 2024

In this intriguing discussion, Dr. Michael Hughes, a biochemist at St. Jude's Research Hospital, delves into the dynamic role of water in cellular processes. He reveals water's surprising capabilities as a signaling and computational entity within cells, challenging traditional views of it as merely a solvent. Exciting concepts such as structured water, osmotic pressure, and even water's memory are explored. The conversation prompts a rethink of water's fundamental importance, linking its behavior to metabolic processes and cellular dynamics.

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INSIGHT

pH as Stored Voltage

pH, a measure of a solution's electrical potential, reflects charge or voltage stored in water.
pH meters measure voltage differences between solutions, indicating the potential for work.

INSIGHT

Hydronium's Role

In acid-base chemistry, protons (H+) don't exist freely but form hydronium (H3O+).
This hydronium is not loose but strongly associated with a water molecule, affecting its properties.

INSIGHT

Tetrahedral Water and Information Transfer

Tetrahedral water, with all hydrogen bonds satisfied, represents ordered water, while broken bonds lead to collapse.
This interplay allows information transfer via low-density water pockets faster than molecular movement.

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Today we're back, for a third podcast, with long time friend of the pod, Dr. Michael Hughes - a biochemist at St. Jude's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. We plunge into the secret story of water, revealing its role as more than a silent spectator in the dance of cellular processes. Like a conductor in an unseen ballet, water’s dynamic and nuanced structures orchestrate communication across cells, acting as a transient computationally competent actuator. Michael reveals how much of this story has been buried for years under blanket abstractions like "pH" and electrochemistry. We see the emergence of a new paradigm in cellular computation, as we uncover how water may not just be the medium of life — at times it’s perhaps every bit as alive as we are. PATREON: get episodes early + join our weekly Patron Chat https://bit.ly/3lcAasB MERCH: Rock some DemystifySci gear : https://demystifysci.myspreadshop.com/ AMAZON: Do your shopping through this link: https://amzn.to/3YyoT98 References from Michael: Na+ vs K+ water dynamics: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/sc/c6sc03320b ; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23713450/ Ion pairing & Collins’ Law of water affinity: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033583519000106 Kosmotropes/Chaotropes ion pairing in biochemistry review: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4693242/ Osmotic pressure influences stem cell differentiation: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1705179114 Hydration as a primary factor in carcinogenesis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16271440/ Distinguishing electrical properties of cancer cells: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S157106452200063X Heart is not a pump: https://rsarchive.org/OtherAuthors/MarinelliRalph/marinelli1.html Laszlo Boros water metabolism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g8OLChXta8 (00:00) Go! (00:09:24) Revisiting Water's Unknowns in Biology (00:22:44) Osmotic Pressure as Dark Matter (00:30:38) Water Molecule Interactions (00:35:37) Collective Motion and Electricity (00:44:35) Memory of Water, for Real (00:48:09) Disappearing Polymorphs and Chemical Synthesis (00:51:05) Understanding Water Freezing and Supercooling (00:59:05) pH, Charge, and Biological Systems (01:08:38) Tetrahedral Ordering in Water Structures (01:17:01) Energy Transfer and Cellular Connectivity (01:30:00) Back to pH (01:39:10) Cosmotropes and Chaotropes (01:49:57) Ion Dynamics in Cells (01:57:15) Unconventional Views on Consciousness and Physiology #water , #structuredwater , #paradigmshift , #Biochemistry, #ScienceExplained, #Electrochemistry, #NewParadigm, #WaterInBiology, #CellularCommunication, #PhaseTransitions, #Biophysics, #MolecularScience, #SciencePodcast, #ScientificBreakthrough, #WaterStructure, #EmergingScience, #CellBiology, #BiochemicalMysteries, #pHExplained, #scientificinnovation #sciencepodcast, #longformpodcast Check our short-films channel, @DemystifySci: https://www.youtube.com/c/DemystifyingScience AND our material science investigations of atomics, @MaterialAtomics https://www.youtube.com/@MaterialAtomics Join our mailing list https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities. - Blog: http://DemystifySci.com/blog - RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rss - Donate: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaD - Swag: https://bit.ly/2PXdC2y SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySci MUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671