58 min listen
A Crack In Creation: The Power and Ethics of Gene Editing (Encore)
A Crack In Creation: The Power and Ethics of Gene Editing (Encore)
ratings:
Length:
59 minutes
Released:
Oct 13, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to molecular microbiologists Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier for their work on CRISPR, the revolutionary technology that gives scientists a way to accurately cut DNA and transform the genetic code of life. Likened to a pair of “genetic scissors,” CRISPR could open the door to cures for some cancers, sickle cell anemia, and other diseases. But it is not without controversy. It’s already been used to manipulate embryos. That could be the first step on the path to “designer babies,” and it raises a multitude of ethical questions. In this encore episode recorded in 2017, Doudna spoke with Walter Isaacson, then president of the Aspen Institute, about gene editing and what it could mean to have the power to control evolution. Doudna is the Li Ka Shing Chancellor's Chair in Biomedical and Health Sciences at UC Berkeley. Her 2012 research on RNA molecules led to extraordinary insights in gene editing CRISPR technology. She wrote “A Crack in Creation,” which chronicles the story of her discovery and the responsibility that comes with rewriting the genetic code. Isaacson is a professor of history at Tulane. He’s written biographies of Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein. His forthcoming book is “The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race.”
Released:
Oct 13, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
The Evolution of Thinking Machines: In many ways, artificial intelligence has become the norm. From autopilot on airplanes to language translation, we've come to accept once novel concepts as just something thinking machines do. What we have ultimately learned is that human thinking is just one way of thinking. So, how far will artificial intelligence go? This episode features a conversation between Danny Hillis and Alexis Madrigal. Hillis is an inventor, scientist, author and engineer. He is co-founder of Applied Minds, a research and development company that creates a range of new products and services in software, entertainment, electronics, biotechnology, and mechanical design. Madrigal is the Silicon Valley bureau chief for Fusion, where he hosts and produces a television show about the future. He is the tech critic for NPR's "FreshAir," a contributing editor at The Atlantic, and a former staff writer at Wired. by Aspen Ideas to Go