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b'ENCORE\\xa0It\\u2019s one of the most bizarre biological experiments ever. In the 18th\\xa0century, a scientist fitted a pair of tailor-made briefs on a male frog to determine the animal\\u2019s contribution to reproduction.\\xa0The process of gestation was a mystery and scientists had some odd-ball theories.\\xa0\\nToday, a 5th\\xa0grader can tell you how babies are made, but we still don\\u2019t know exactly what life\\xa0is.\\xa0In our quest to understand, we\\u2019re still at the frogs\\u2019 pants stage.\\nFind out why conception took centuries to figure out.\\xa0Also, why the 1970s Viking experiments, specifically designed to detect life on Mars, couldn\\u2019t give us a definitive answer.\\xa0Plus, can knowing where life isn\\u2019t help define what it is?\\xa0Take a tour of the world\\u2019s barren places.\\xa0\\nGuests:\\n\\n\\nJay Gallentine\\xa0- Author of books about space and space history.\\n\\n\\nEdward Dolnick\\xa0- Author and former science writer at the\\xa0Boston Globe.\\xa0His book is\\xa0The Seeds of Life: From Aristotle to Da Vinci, from Shark\\u2019s Teeth to Frogs\\u2019 Pants.\\n\\n\\nChris McKay\\xa0- Planetary scientist, NASA Ames Research Center.\\xa0\\n\\n\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices'