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Science fiction is becoming science fact. In 2018, the team behind this podcast uncovered that a Chinese scientist, Jiankui He (nicknamed “JK”), was creating the world’s first genetically enhanced babies. The experiment opened the door to what may become a commercial market for "designer babies" and for governments to enhance entire populations. In the controversy that followed, the Chinese government disappeared JK and later sentenced him to three years in prison. Dr. He is now out of priso ...
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As a filmmaker, Cody is acutely aware of how Hollywood films has shaped his perception of genetic engineering. Ridley Scott’s masterpiece, Blade Runner, was present for him during the entire process of making the documentary Make People Better. During shoots, they often joked that the documentary could have been shot on one of Mr. Scotts film sets.…
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The technology companies driving the genomic revolution are modeling themselves after their predecessors in Silicon Valley. Many bioethicists take note that the same value system, often a mix of new age spiritualism mixed with a tech ethic of “go fast and break things,” is being used as a justification to move the technologies of life far past gove…
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The last 20 years of history have been bookended by two events. 9/11 and Covid-19. Many security experts believe that as cheap and easy-to-use gene editing tech proliferates, the occurrence of intentional release of publicly available viruses like smallpox or engineered variants of bird flu will be released for ideological reasons. Is there a plan …
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Mosquitoes, which have evolved on Earth for more than a hundred million years, could be extinguished by new genetic engineering tools in a matter of years in modern efforts to prevent malaria. The first of these immensely powerful technologies are called “gene drives.” In this episode, we sit down for a mind mending interview with Dr Kevin Esvelt o…
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In the United States, many citizens place personal freedom above all other societal values. Combine that with a wave of new gene hacking technologies that are cheap and easy to use, and the biohacking movement is born. It’s fun, you can inject yourself in your own basement, and it can generate a lot of interest on social media. In this episode we s…
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As far back as we have recorded history, from ancient cave paintings to the pyramids, humans have quested for immortality. It is the ultimate prize for a species that can imagine the future and their own eventual death. In recent years, science has transformed that quest into a technological one. This episode starts with Max More, the former presid…
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Let’s start our journey into the genomic revolution where the documentary film, Make People Better left off. First, we will speak with Dr. Jiankui He (nicknamed “JK”), the Chinese scientist who secretly created the first designer babies, named Lulu and Nana. As a result of the controversy that followed, JK spent the next three years in prison. We a…
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Science fiction is becoming science fact. In 2018, the team behind this podcast uncovered that a Chinese scientist, Jiankui He (nicknamed “JK”), was creating the world’s first genetically enhanced babies. The experiment opened the door to what may become a commercial market for designer babies and for governments to enhance entire populations. In t…
…
continue reading
