BlueDot Narrated

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. Original text: https://www.faruvc.org/ Author(s): Jeff Kaufman. A podcast by BlueDot Impact.

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. Original text: https://blog.bluedot.org/p/what-is-ai-alignmentAuthor(s): Adam Jones.A podcast by BlueDot Impact.

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. Original text: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/hs.2022.0126 Author(s): Nadia X. Montazeri and Jonas B. Sandbrink. A podcast by BlueDot Impact.

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. Original text: https://www.worksinprogress.news/p/flipping-the-switch-on-far-uvc?hide_intro_popup=true Author(s): Richard Williamson.A podcast by BlueDot Impact.

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses.Executive SummaryThe chance of H5N1 or one of its descendants causing a pandemic is slim, but the impact would probably be more severe than COVID-19A reasonable forecast that H5N1 causes a pandemic as bad as or worse than COVID-19 beginning in the next year is ~4%, which means the expected cost in terms of potential harms to the U.S. is at least $640 billionThe federal government can reduce that risk by: Scaling up testing & sequencingBanning mink farmsNot pursuing H5N1 gain-of-function researchLaying the groundwork for mass production of an H5N1 vaccineInvesting in general pandemic preventionBackgroundThough COVID-19 is often referred to as a “once-in-a-century event,” this expression should not be taken literally. Another COVID-like pandemic at some point is almost inevitable, and the chances of a devastating pandemic materializing in any given year are low but constant. Recently, media figures have raised concerns that the highly pathogenic avian [...]Original texthttps://progress.institute/what-are-the-chances-an-h5n1-pandemic-is-worse-than-covidFirst published14 February 2023A podcast by BlueDot Impact.

Andrew Snyder-Beattie, a biosecurity and pandemic preparedness researcher, dives into his Four Pillars hypothesis for mitigating catastrophic biological risks. He emphasizes the importance of PPE, bio-hardening spaces, detection, and rapid response measures. Snyder-Beattie critiques the limitations of traditional threat lists and advocates for effective pathogen-agnostic surveillance. He also discusses innovative DIY air sterilization ideas and the advantages of elastomeric respirators, making the complex topic of biodefense accessible and urgent.

Explore the innovative approach to pathogen detection in the US. Learn how metagenomic sequencing can identify both known and unknown threats. The discussion covers a $52 million funding proposal aimed at enhancing biosurveillance. Discover how traveler genomic surveillance and wastewater sampling work together for community health. The importance of rapid data sharing and deep sequencing for effective outbreak monitoring is highlighted. The proposed system might significantly improve our ability to detect pandemics before they escalate.

Discover the intriguing world of AI biorisk evaluations as experts dissect why some labs, like Anthropic, opt for safety measures following major AI releases. Explore how current benchmarks can lead to misleading high scores and the opaque nature of many non-benchmark evaluations. Delve into the trade-offs of transparency versus safety and why some labs are more diligent than others in publishing their findings. The discussion reveals that while objections to current practices exist, they don't eliminate the underlying risks associated with AI and bioweapons.

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. Original text: https://red.anthropic.com/2025/biorisk/ Author(s): AnthropicA podcast by BlueDot Impact.

Audio versions of blogs and papers from BlueDot courses. Original text: https://blog.bluedot.org/p/how-ai-could-enable-catastrophic-pandemics Author(s): Will Saunter. A podcast by BlueDot Impact.