Distinguished Investigator, J. Craig Venter Institute
Distinguished investigator at the J. Craig Venter Institute and lead researcher on its synthetic cell project; Professor Emeritus of Microbiology at the University of North Carolina and a member of the National Academy of Sciences
Are Scientists Closer to Creating Life in a Laboratory? J. Craig Venter is being compared to Galileo, Darwin and Einstein — at the same time he's denounced for trying to "play God." In the 1990's, he beat a team of international scientists in deciphering the human genome. Last week, he announced a breakthrough in creating life in a laboratory , which he called "the first self-replicating species… whose parent is a computer."
Synthetic Cells: Momentous Breakthrough or Ethical Morass? In the 1990's, J. Craig Venter beat a team of international scientists in deciphering the human genome. Last week, he announced a breakthrough in creating life in a laboratory , what he called "the first self-replicating species… whose parent is a computer." Has he really created new life or just modified existing life? In either case, there's already debate over the pros and cons of man-made organisms. Venter envisions vaccines, bio-fuels, even reversing global warming. Skeptics warn of medical accidents and biological weapons getting into the wrong hands. Does "synthetic biology" mean playing God? Would the benefits outweigh the risk of unintended consequences?
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.