Make People Better Podcast
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 prison and has started a new genetic engineering company. He sits down with us in our first episode to discuss his plans. But the story does not stop there. In recent years, gene editing has exploded into a technological revolution that is poised to transform society and redefine what it means to be human. In this 7-part podcast series, we investigate the race to unlock age reversal and immortality in humans, new tools that can re-engineer entire species of animals and plants in nature, the inevitability of bioterrorists creating synthetic viruses, an underground movement of do-it-yourself biohackers who are setting up labs in their garages, how pop culture has informed the genomic revolution, and much more. This podcast was funded by the RandomGood Foundation and was produced by Rhumbline Media, LLC.
Podcasting since 2023 • 8 episodes
Make People Better Podcast
Latest Episodes
Science Fiction
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 P...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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30:05
Valley of Shadow
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 “...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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1:01:33
Bioterror
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 l...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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47:39