The Police Station (Ch. 7) – Bionic Bug Podcast Episode 007

Bionic Bug Podcast

Hey everyone, welcome back to Bionic Bug podcast! You’re listening to episode 7. This is your host Natasha Bajema, fiction author, futurist, and national security expert. First off, I have a quick personal update. Project Gecko, Book Two in the Lara Kingsley Series, came back from my editor last Monday. Good news: He likes it. Expected news: We can make it even better. As many of you know, I’m working with a developmental editor, Clark Chamberlain. He is the kind of editor who helps authors with plot, character arcs and development and any other story elements. It’s expensive, but I find it to be a smart investment in my future as an author. He helps me see my strengths and weaknesses as an author. I’m also revamping my website to prepare for my podcast launch. I bought a new Wordpress theme from Artisan Themes to make my site look more professional. I was so nervous about activating the theme that I waited for a whole week. It was really kind of silly, the amount of anxiety I expended over making the change. Last Sunday, I finally pressed activate, and I’ve been working to leverage the cool features of the new theme. Artisan Themes support has been amazing, so I highly recommend to anyone considering updating their look. Let’s talk tech news. Today, I’m getting up on my soap box and am giving you fair warning. I would remind you that these are solely my own opinions. You’re free to disagree with me, and I’m happy to have a debate. The headline for this week is from the New York Times on May 14 by Emily Baumgaertner: “As D.I.Y. Gene Editing Gains Popularity, ‘Someone Is Going to Get Hurt’”. The article opens by saying, “After a virus was created from mail-order DNA, scientists are sounding the alarm about the genetic tinkering carried out in garages and living rooms. Across the country, biohackers — hobbyists, amateur geneticists, students and enthusiasts — are practicing gene editing, concerning some bioterrorism experts.” Of course, it’s exciting to see the New York Times cover one of the current issues I find important, but this title and the intro are examples of sensationalism at their worst. Even if it raises some valid and important issues, this article was poorly researched and misleading. It appears that the journalist hand-selected a few examples of scientists behaving badly and scary expert quotes to support her bias that DIY Bio is dangerous. And that, is a disservice to humanity. Am I exaggerating? No, actually I’m not. Ms. Baumgaertner states in her article: “Authorities in the United States have been hesitant to undertake actions that could squelch innovation or impinge on intellectual property.” Yes, and there’s good reason for that. The majority of innovation in biotechnology is going to come from these start-up efforts. Breaking news: government and big industry are no longer leaders in developing cutting edge technology. Microsoft and Apple were started in garages and working with technology that would soon change the world. We could also say that the Internet is dangerous and someone is going to get hurt. The Internet was originally created to allow university researchers to communicate and share information. Even though cyberspace has its risks, and the risks are growing, most would argue that our lives have vastly improved as a result of interconnectedness. The United States has become a world leader in technology because of the start-up innovations coming out of Silicon Valley and other technology hubs. Who is to say that the next cure for a disease won’t come from a garage? What if we could finally understand where, when, how and whys of cancer? What if we could solve the diabetes epidemic with gene editing? Yes, we need to ensure adequate safety and security practices across the DIY biology community and inculcate a culture of responsibility. But Ms. Baumgartner draws strong links where there are none, and her article may mislead the general public about DIY Bio leading...