EP 537: Walter Isaacson on the Next Scientific Revolution

Bestselling author Walter Isaacson (Jobs, Leonardo DaVinci) shares how Nobel Prize-winning scientist Jennifer Doudna and her collaborators blazed a trail in a field dominated by men and turned a curiosity of nature into an something that will transform the human race: an easy-to-use tool that can edit DNA.  He reveals how the technology known as CRISPR has launched a revolution that will allow us to cure diseases, fend off viruses, and have healthier babies.  Walter talks the controversy over so-called "designer babies," how Doudna and others are leading the way in the fight against Covid-19, and how the pandemic is actually changing opinions about the potential of gene editing our off-spring.  Walter Isaacson also discusses his mission to get people excited about science and the common trait that links all geniuses from Albert Einstein to Leonardo DaVinci.

Walter Isaacson's new book The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, CRISPR, and the Future of the Human Race on Amazon, Audible, or wherever books are sold.  Subscribe to his podcast Trailblazers with Walter Isaacson wherever you get your podcasts, and follow him on Twitter at @WalterIsaacson.