Synthetic Biology and Future Humans
Setup
The future is upon us. Synthetic biology harnesses the power of nature to redesign organisms, allowing us to heal without prescription medicine, manipulate viruses to correct genetic defects, grow new body parts, produce meat without animals, and confront the looming climate catastrophe. But a field that brings together the principles of engineering and computer coding, the capacity to synthesize DNA, and the techniques of genomic manipulation carries risks as well: it could produce devastating weapons and alter the ecosystem beyond recognition. Amy Webb talks about it all in her new book, The Genesis Machine: Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology.
- 2022 Health
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