The Tim Ferriss Show

#503: Walter Isaacson on CRISPR, Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race

Mar 4, 2021

Walter Isaacson, a renowned historian and biographer, delves into the world of CRISPR and gene editing. He discusses the groundbreaking work of Jennifer Doudna and the ethical dilemmas that arise from cutting-edge biotechnologies. Isaacson emphasizes the importance of fostering curiosity in science, comparing historical figures like Doudna and Benjamin Franklin. The conversation also examines how technological advancements blur the lines of morality, urging a thoughtful dialogue about the future implications of genetic research for humanity.

01:25:03

Episode guests

Walter Isaacson

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

The Double Helix

00:21

Is There a Pursuing of Wonder or Awe?

00:23

Intro

4min

Exploring the Frontiers of Gene Editing and History

3min

Challenges in Biography Writing

4min

The Heart of Home and the Future of Gene Editing

23min

The Molecule as the New Microchip: Understanding Biotech and Genetic Coding

5min

Curiosity in Science: The Doudna and Franklin Connection

9min

Machines, Curiosity, and Scientific Innovation

16min

Ethics of Gene Editing: Navigating Moral Landscapes

14min

Culinary Delights and Curated Recommendations

6min

Walter Isaacson on CRISPR, Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race | Brought to you by Magic Spoon delicious low-carb cereal, LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with ~720M users, and Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating. More on all three below.

Walter Isaacson (@WalterIsaacson) is a professor of history at Tulane, has been CEO of the Aspen Institute, chair of CNN, and editor of Time. He is the author of Leonardo da Vinci; The Innovators; Steve Jobs; Einstein: His Life and Universe; Benjamin Franklin: An American Life; and Kissinger: A Biography. He is co-author of The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made.

His new book is The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race.

You can find our first conversation from 2017 at tim.blog/walter.

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Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.