Science, Technology and Ethics: Hacking Darwin with Jamie Metzl,

PhD

 Published on June 1, 2019

Dr. Chris Stout

119 articles

Jamie Metzl, PhD, JD, and polymath extraordinaire, writes “From this point onward, our species will
take active control of our evolutionary process by genetically altering our future offspring into something
different from what we are today. We are, in other words, beginning a process of hacking Darwin.” This is a
quote from his latest book, Hacking Darwin: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Humanity.

“We’ve never conducted a species-wide conversation on our future.”

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.

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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.

Could this be the most important book of our generation?

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 data bases
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+,

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metformin, including Friedrich Nietzsche and his idea of the Ubermensch, 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.

“The science is in place. The realization is inevitable.”

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.

Listen on iTunes or download here. You can also listen

on Overcast, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play Music, and iHeartRADIO as well. Please
subscribe on your favorite platform and never miss an episode. Here are the show notes.

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# # #

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