This new work has caught the attention of the experts—CNN’s Sanjay Gupta, Ray Kurzweil, Harvard genetics superstar George Church, and even former acting CIA director Mike Morell, and related pieces in the New York Times, FT, The Economist, and TechCrunch. And understandably so, as the genetics revolution that will transform our healthcare, the way we make babies, the nature of the babies we make, and ultimately our evolution as a species has already begun. It will arrive far sooner than most of us think and will transform our lives and the world around us in ways we can hardly imagine.
If you have a sense that the genetics revolution is important but recognize you need to know more about what’s happening, what’s at stake, what this means for you, and what you should be doing now to prepare, then you will enjoy the book and this episode with Jamie.
We cover the science, technology and ethics of where we are and what’s on the horizon.
Jamie is a dear friend, and the first time he was on my show, I referred to him as a real-life Buckaroo Banzai. If you haven’t listened to that episode, I encourage you to check it out as we cover some of the amazing and diverse things he’s done.
We cover a wide territory that includes IVF, CRISPR, Cas9, epigenetic aspects that dictate how genes are expressed, Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and use of a computer algorithm to look for thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or genetic variations. Jamie notes that “because genomics is the ultimate big-data challenge, more and cheaper data will lay a foundation for more and greater discoveries.” When large databases are combined with one’s personal genetic information, it sets the stage for actionable, N-of-1 clinical interventions a la Precision Medicine Initiative. We also cover the history, and the politics, of GMO crops, as well as longevity extension via NAD+, metformin, including Friedrich Nietzsche and his idea of the Uber-mensch, or superman, and segue into a the Transhumanist Movement. We are in the midst of a boom of DIY biohackers, not unlike technology hobbyists of bygone days.
In dealing with “The Ethics of Engineering Ourselves” quite fittingly, Jamie has been appointed earlier this year in the World Health Organization’s expert advisory committee on developing global standards for the governance and oversight of human genome editing, and he encourages us all join the conversation via his website for doing exactly that.
Jamie not only lives his life in full, but he informs of the promise and risks we are facing, and offers us a way to have an informed voice in helping to move the dialog to benefit humanity’s future.
