The age of genetic wonder | Juan Enriquez

Gene-editing tools like CRISPR enable us to program life at its most fundamental level. But this raises some pressing questions: If we can generate new species from scratch, what should we build? Should we redesign humanity as we know it? Juan Enriquez forecasts the possible futures of genetic editing, exploring the immense uncertainty and opportunity of this next frontier.

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more.

[Krath]

I built my own lab and self-taught cellular biology techniques (with the help of Youtube) so I could study Mesenchymal stem cells in vitro at my home. Earlier this year I began taking courses with the plans of shifting my entire life into STEM for the pursuit of this goal. I consider the engineering of life and the curing of aging to be the greatest engineering project in the history of humanity. In my lifetime Biology will have the same predictive powers of physics and I want to be part of that. I am going to save this video and watch it whenever I forget what I am working toward. Well said and thank you!

[markusheimerl]

TED Talks from people at the top of their scientific fields are the ones I cherish the most.

[farjadbabaee]

What a great man. I have enjoyed all of his TED talks, each more wonderful than the last.

[TomRozTV]

I wonder what kind of TED talks we'll have in 2119.... 😮

[joannot]

Now the content of this talk is outstanding, and the way he tells it with his cynical humour just makes it one of the most enjoyable TED I have ever seen.

I'm halfway through this talk I don't won't it to end.

[carlov]

This was Amazing! I really enjoy Juan Enríquez Cabot talks, its been a while since the last time he performed at TED. Educated in Harvard & Mexican by the Way.

[artinengineering]

Wow the potential. This is the kind of research that can really change the world if we choose. I foresee decades of arguments on the good and bad, right and wrong, -&+, the righteous and evil. I'm excited about this research and I would like to see the application of it with the utmost CARE for Earth and ALL.

[PeggiandSteve]

How exciting it is to hear and see our future. It would be nice to know that instead of ordering body parts, we can fix and PREVENT all our pain and suffering before that starts. Thank you..

[tegatobu]

Great Talk ☝🏿
I believe it is CRUCIAL we as a species gain an understanding of our world. That those in power (& even us) take the time to fully comprehend what is the right path forward. These advancement’s in tech, bio, and morality will quite literally shape our future. FOR EVERYONE.

Ignorance should have no place in the future. Half-baked assumptions should have no place. Self-Interest should be regulated to an understanding of the overall ramifications of our actions.
Research, Learn, Grow. Do not be led by fear of the unknown. Walk beside it

Now more than ever we are at a pinnacle point in our species. The responsibility that we carry is big man. Very big.

[Psycandy]

well the first thing we did with CRISPR is work out how to annihilate mosquitoes and make people immune to HIV... so the possible futures look more like fixing the past than inventing the future, ethics included.

[TheAaron]

Brilliant content. Reminding us this stuff is NOT way off, and we need to deal with some of these questions now.

[_BangDroid_]

I added this to my ASMR playlist because it's so sleep inducing lol

[jasonanderson]

The longevity of the mind is my primary career goal.

[brendarua]

It's a great talk, loaded with information I had no idea of. This is exciting! But I'm left feeling nervous, even a bit queasy.


The presenter kind a cavalierly acknowledges problems. I cringed when if flippantly said assign 30% of your brain power to worrying. I've seen too many engineering and architecture failures. As a programmer, I know well how tough quality control is under best of circumstances. Just wail until the bean counters start nipping at resources, how officers react to board pressure to increase profits - by cutting costs.. We have seen corporate officers cause global recessions to make an extra buck. It will happen again as this stuff moves to the factor floor and production contends with safety. Think we know how to manage ecology by introducing new players? Ask Australians how much they like their rabbits or those cute little frogs that are taking over. Ask UA grain farmers who are forced bo buy seeds from Monsanto because they need resistance to herbicide used buy a farmer upwind. The law of unintended consequences is nebulous and mysterious - but real as a brick. Not that terrorists will care about any of this.


I'm generally pro technology and an optimist. We've come a long way since 1900 and live very well across most of the world. But I am hoping that AI will offer some solution to the "budding" mess the bio-revolution will bring with it.

[TheDvnEssence]

I clicked on this strictly because I saw “CERN” in the back lol

[KlimovArtem]

Finally a really good speech on new technologies!

[gozu]

love how he just casually took out an orange out of his pocket :D

[thetribe]

I can totally see how this is going to be our end.

[timclaydon]

1:50 his example of detecting exoplanets is really strange, if not false. Any exoplanets we've measured thus far are within our own galaxy, hundreds/thousands of light years but NOT billions! And they're much larger than 'specs of dust' - they are planets, usually much larger than Earth, and even resolving those are tricky.

[issaaczala]

TED talk should be on global issues & solutions.