Synthetic Biology for Democracy

The Hoover Institution hosted Synthetic Biology for Democracy on Thursday, August 18, 2022 from 12:00 - 1:00PM PT. Watch the non-technical conversation with Drew Endy, Associate Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University, about advancements in synthetic biology and related economic and governance opportunities.

[roberthumphreys]

Very interesting discussion, although I am uncertain how much is really new thinking. One caveat since there are mostly academic and very early stage technology people present who don't have much real world exposure. We need to stop using the word "trust" when the appropriate word is "credibility". I trust people with whom I have had a lot of experience under a broad range of situations and experiences that must include adversity and sacrifice for those involved. Shared risk, skin in the game. This trust is the essence of family and extended family and deep friendships that is as old as humanity. Trust is hard won and easily and permanently lost. I think of it like virginity in that you get to lose it only once. In other words, once it is gone, you can't regenerate it. Why? Because there is no substitute for trust when risks are highest in a group endeavor. The best human institutions can hope for is to achieve credibility through consistent, open performance, which is pretty must the opposite of what the public observed from science and government during the pandemic (I don't need to beat this poor horse again, I hope) and in the climate change debate (how urgent is it, how much will it change, what should we do about it, whose ox gets gored). Credibility of human institutions in the West is at an all-time low among a large swath of the population and it amazes me that a discussion such as this one from Hoover occur without recognition that trust in institutions is out of the question. The best that can happen is to rebuild a modicum of credibility. The Covid response has resulted in biotechnology, so-called "big pharma" and science as a whole losing a lot of credibility among many, enough that it matters a lot politically. How about focusing on rebuilding credibility before we implement grand designs?

[monicahart]

Where is the Ethics Committee on this??

[Mercilesswon]

This is terrifying to be perfectly honest. This power is absolute. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. And this technology is already weaponized against humanity.

[alexbuckley]

Hm! I hadnt considered going to dna to bits and back to dna....

[LabelsAreMeaningless]

I question your idea of success when you praise very flawed and unsafe vaccines. That wasn't a win, maybe it was a step towards a possible win, but framing it as a current win is off putting on the entire rest of your plans.

[rejan]

If this crap's not scary idk what is...