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What if the secret to saving millions of lives was hidden for years—overlooked, dismissed, and even rejected?

That’s the story behind the groundbreaking mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines.

Today’s remarkable guest, Dr. Katalin Karikó—a Nobel laureate whose persistence and vision changed the course of medical history—shares how she overcame countless setbacks to drive one of the biggest breakthroughs in modern medicine.

Discover how a humble butcher’s daughter from Hungary developed the foundation for the COVID-19 vaccine and why mRNA could hold the key to curing cancer and other deadly diseases.

Tune in to learn more about the mRNA revolution that almost didn’t happen!

Key Takeaways: 

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:06 Origin of the Hungarian phrase “Marslahok”

00:02:11 Judging a book by its cover

00:05:40 The definition of life and extraterrestrial life 

00:09:28 Katalin’s early life and scientific curiosity 

00:18:00 Understanding RNA and mRNA

00:24:43 Development of the COVID vaccine

00:28:44 The COVID vaccine controversy 

00:35:41 Overcoming adversity and advice for young scientists 

00:54:10 The future of mRNA research and dealing with pandemics 

01:01:08 What was Katalin wrong about?

01:02:15 Outro

Additional resources: 

📚 Get “Breaking Through: My Life in Science” by Dr. Katalin Karikó: https://a.co/d/cZjaFCw 

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Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.

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