The Gene: Unlocking the Human Code, with Siddhartha Mukherjee

The Gene: Unlocking the Human Code, with Siddhartha Mukherjee

Genetics has revolutionised not just how we think of biology but how we think of ourselves. We are, in the words of one geneticist, the first organism that has ‘learned to read its own instructions’. Now, with the breakthrough of gene-editing technology — whose precision allows us to alter a single letter of DNA — we can now not only decipher but rewrite our genetic code. We may soon be able to treat diseases such as cancer not simply with drugs, but with genetic manipulation. Yet behind this medical revolution lies the prospect of something altogether more worrying. Already, we possess the technology to add to our genetic code at will, and thus create the world’s first generation of ‘transgenic’ humans. As we intervene genetically on ourselves with ever more accuracy, do we risk changing what it means to be human? In a potential quest for the genetically ‘normal’, will we risk annihilating the very diversity and mutations on which evolution depends? These are some of the questions that the Pulitzer... Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episoder(1534)

Sex, Gender and Christianity: A 3,000 Year History, with Diarmaid MacCulloch and Mary Beard (Part One)

Sex, Gender and Christianity: A 3,000 Year History, with Diarmaid MacCulloch and Mary Beard (Part One)

In the twenty-first century, Christianity or historically Christian societies have witnessed one of the most extraordinary revolutions in attitudes to sex and gender in human history, bringing liberat...

16 Mar 34min

Is the Russia–Ukraine War a Failure of Strategy? With Lawrence Freedman

Is the Russia–Ukraine War a Failure of Strategy? With Lawrence Freedman

In an age of grinding wars, nuclear brinkmanship, and political volatility, what does strategy really mean - and how do leaders make decisions when the world feels chaotic? In this episode, Lawrence ...

15 Mar 50min

What Is Really at Stake at the North Pole? With Neil Shea

What Is Really at Stake at the North Pole? With Neil Shea

What Do Wolves, Caribou, and Global Superpowers Have in Common? In this episode, Professor Helen Czerski speaks to journalist and author Neil Shea about the Arctic’s changing face and the struggles t...

13 Mar 48min

Sotheby's Talks | How Do Objects Achieve Iconic Status, with Grayson Perry and Xa Sturgis

Sotheby's Talks | How Do Objects Achieve Iconic Status, with Grayson Perry and Xa Sturgis

On today’s episode, an episode from our friends at Sotheby's exploring the question: How do objects achieve iconic status? Taking inspiration from the book Icons: 100 Extraordinary Objects from Sotheb...

11 Mar 46min

Fiona Hill: The World in 2026 (Part Two)

Fiona Hill: The World in 2026 (Part Two)

Fiona Hill is one of the most authoritative voices on the forces reshaping global politics today. Born in County Durham, from 2017 to 2019 she was a senior adviser on European and Russian Affairs at t...

9 Mar 34min

Fiona Hill: The World in 2026 (Part One)

Fiona Hill: The World in 2026 (Part One)

Fiona Hill is one of the most authoritative voices on the forces reshaping global politics today. Born in County Durham, from 2017 to 2019 she was a senior adviser on European and Russian Affairs at t...

8 Mar 36min

How has American hubris shaped Iran? With Scott Anderson

How has American hubris shaped Iran? With Scott Anderson

Scott Anderson is a veteran foreign reporter and war correspondent, and a contributing writer for The New York Times. Over his career he has reported from Bosnia, Libya, Palestine and across the Middl...

6 Mar 33min

What Does It Take to Run Goldman Sachs During a Meltdown? With Former CEO Lloyd Blankfein

What Does It Take to Run Goldman Sachs During a Meltdown? With Former CEO Lloyd Blankfein

What does it take to lead one of the world’s most powerful banks when the global financial system is on the brink of collapse? As CEO for Goldman Sachs from 2006 to 2018, Lloyd Blankfein was at the h...

4 Mar 44min

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