In this episode, I sit down with renowned science writer David Quammen. We discuss the age of synthetic biology, tempered by ethical and practical considerations, and what it may mean for viruses, cancer & species conservation.

David’s insightful, measured outlook is grounded in five decades of science writing, across dozens of books and hundreds of feature magazine stories. 

Show Notes:

00:18 Introduction.

02:00 Contagious Cancer and Evolution

02:32 Virus Hunters & Zoonotic Spillover.

08:05 Bats: The Reservoir Hosts

12:30 Ethics & Engineering Viruses.

19:54 Viruses as Evolutionary Feature, not Bug.

25:29 Engineering Immunology

36:53 COVID-19 Origins and Vaccine Development

46:46 Individual Liberty vs Public Health

54:20 EV batteries & Congo Mining

57:12 Elephants Don’t Get Cancer

59:24 De-Extinction and Genetic Preservation

01:01:19 Conservation and Genetic Engineering

01:19:44 David’s Career