Brave New Planet: Reshaping Nature Through Gene Drives

A new technology, called gene drives, has the power to spread any genetic instructions you wish throughout an animal or plant species in the wild. It might let us restore ecosystems ravaged by invasive species, or help species adapt to climate change. And, it might save millions of children from dying of malaria. But could altering nature in this way, and on this scale, have unintended consequences? And, when it comes reshaping ecosystems, who needs to say yes?

Hosted by scientist Eric Lander and in partnership with the Boston Globe, Brave New Planet is a podcast about amazing new technologies that might dramatically improve our world, or, if we don’t make wise choices, could leave us a lot worse off. Brave New Planet is a podcast that delves deep into the most exciting and challenging scientific frontiers, helping us understand them and grapple with their implications.

Host:

Eric S. Lander (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Guests: 

• Natalie Kofler (Editing Nature)
• James Collins (Arizona State University)
• Austin Burt (Imperial College London)
• Kevin Esvelt (MIT Media Lab)
• Abdoulaye Diabaté (Research Institute in Health Sciences)
• Dyann Wirth (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
• Zahra Moloo (Investigative Journalist and Filmmaker)