The last 20 years of history have been bookended by two events. 9/11 and Covid-19. Many security experts believe that as cheap and easy-to-use gene editing tech proliferates, the occurrence of intentional release of publicly available viruses like smallpox or engineered variants of bird flu will be released for ideological reasons. Is there a plan to keep us safe? We start with special agent Edward You, formerly the director for the FBI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, who is leading the U.S. government’s defense. In this episode we also talk with Richard Carmona, the former United States Surgeon General who was also tasked with this in his tenure, Harvard’s Sam Weiss Evans, and Michael Hopmeier who is a biosecurity expert.

Episode Guests

Richard Carmona is an American physician, nurse, police officer, public health administrator, and politician.

Sam Weiss Evans focuses on the governance of security concerns in emerging research technology, especially biology.

Edward You is currently on a Joint Duty Assignment at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) serving as the National Counterintelligence Officer for Emerging and Disruptive Technologies.

Michael Hopmeier is the president of Unconventional Concepts, and consult of matters of homeland security.

Reference links for this episode

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/news-blog/is-a-bioterrorism-attack-in-the-us-2008-12-02/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIscOy7o6v_QIVUjmtBh3szw9hEAMYASAAEgIRQvD_BwE

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/world/nightmare-bioterrorism?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=gap_ds&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIp6LZ9I6v_QIVoxnnCh3LfATKEAMYASAAEgIek_D_BwE

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Credits
Written and Edited by Cody Sheehy
Produced by Samira Kiani
Music By Tyler Strickland
Impact production by Megan Friend
Recorded by Cody Sheehy and Samira Kiani
Additional Recording By Galen McCaw
Sound design and mixing by Kim Christensen
Supporting materials by Cody Sheehy
Social media and marketing by Megan Friend, Amna Vegha, and Marci Fiamengo
Website by Craig Boesewetter
Legal by W. Wilder Knight II
Executive production by Randall Gebhardt and Christopher Gebhardt