Shadowing Practice: What if quantum physics could eradicate illness? | Jim Al-Khalili for Big Think - Learn English Speaking with Video
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32 sentences
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Quantum biology is looking for and studying quantum phenomena, quantum effects inside living cells.
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On the one hand, physicists don't like applying their laws of physics and quantum mechanics inside living systems because biology is hard,
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it's complicated, it's messy.
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It's hard enough trying to find quantum effects in a sterile physics lab.
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How does that sort of quantum behaviour survive inside the noisy, messy, complex environment of a living system?
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So physicists think, no, that's too complicated for us.
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Biologists don't want to think about quantum mechanics because by and large they don't understand the mathematics of quantum mechanics.
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And to be fair, molecular biology and genetics have progressed very well, thank you very much, without any help from quantum mechanics.
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In the middle, between the physicists and the biologists, are the chemists who say, well, of course, once you get down to the level of molecules, you're going to hit the quantum realm at some point.
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So you shouldn't be surprised that there must be some quantum effects.
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Don't go inventing new fields of science just to make it sound sexy somehow.
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There may be quantum effects going on, but that doesn't play a functional role.
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You don't need that to explain how an enzyme catalyzes a particular chemical reaction
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or how bacteria photosynthesizes light and turns it into chemical energy.
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That's all biochemistry and it's all understood.
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My counter argument to that is that it may well be that there are quantum effects.
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For example, quantum tunneling when a particle can jump from A to B in a way that's forbidden in our everyday world, but which is very familiar to us in physics and chemistry,
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that may well play a very fundamental role in certain biochemical processes.
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For example, whether mutations can take place in DNA because a single proton,
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a hydrogen atom, has jumped from one strand of DNA to the other in a way
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that it wouldn't do if we didn't use the rules of quantum mechanics.
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Now this could happen if it's given enough energy by say the surrounding water molecules
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that can nudge it over but it can also quantum tunnel across
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which means it can jump even though it doesn't have enough
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energy to get over the energy barrier they can quantum tunnel
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through the hill like a phantom walking through a brick wall
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now mutations are necessary for life otherwise there will be no change given the current progress we're making in genetics,
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gene editing, in being able to manipulate the building blocks of life down at the molecular scale.
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If quantum tunneling plays an important part,
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might it be possible to inhibit certain mutations by inhibiting the ability of particles to quantum tunnel?
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That would suggest that quantum mechanics plays a role in the entire evolution of life on this planet.
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And that might have huge implications for our health.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 32 sentences and 481 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:00. The speaker talks at a natural 160 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 75% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| quantum noun | /ˈkwɑntəm/ | The total amount of something; quantity. |
| mechanic noun | /mɪˈkænɪk/ | Someone who builds or repairs machinery, a technician; now specifically, someone who works with and repairs the mechanical parts of a motor vehicle, aircraft… |
| tunnel noun | /ˈtʌn(ə)l/ | An underground or underwater passage. |
| physics noun | /ˈfɪz.ɪks/ | The branch of science concerned with the study of the properties and interactions of space, time, matter and energy. |
| biology noun | /baɪˈɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/ | The study of all life or living matter. |
| mutation noun | /mjuˈteɪʃən/ | Any alteration or change. |
| complicated adjective | /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/ | Difficult or convoluted. |
| molecular adjective | /məˈlɛk.jə.ləɹ/ | Relating to, or consisting of, or produced by molecules. |
| particle noun | /ˈpɑɹtək(ə)l/ | A very small piece of matter, a fragment; especially, the smallest possible part of something. |
| messy adjective | /ˈmɛsi/ | In a disorderly state; chaotic; disorderly. |
| genetics noun | /dʒəˈnɛt.ɪks/ | The branch of biology that deals with the transmission and variation of inherited characteristics, in particular chromosomes and DNA. |
| molecule noun | /ˈmɑ.lɪ.kjul/ | The smallest particle of a specific element or compound that retains the chemical properties of that element or compound; two or more atoms held together by… |
| everyday adjective | /ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/ | Appropriate for ordinary use, rather than for special occasions. |
| sexy adjective | /ˈsɛksi/ | Having sex appeal; attractive. |
| evolution noun | /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/ | A manoeuvre of troops or ships. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get down to verb | To start focusing on doing something serious |
| get over verb | To overcome. |
| walk through verb | To explain (something) to (someone), step by step. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 12 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, doesn't, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: mutation /mjuˈteɪʃən/, evolution /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/, implication /ˌɪmpləˈkeɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: biology /baɪˈɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/, complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/, molecular /məˈlɛk.jə.ləɹ/, evolution /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/, fundamental /ˌfʌn.dəˈmɛn.təl/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like quantum, mechanic, tunnel.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.