Let’s start our journey into the genomic revolution where the documentary film, Make People Better left off. First, we will speak with Dr. Jiankui He (nicknamed “JK”), the Chinese scientist who secretly created the first designer babies, named Lulu and Nana. As a result of the controversy that followed, JK spent the next three years in prison. We also speak with Dr. Ben Hurlbut. Ben is an ethics expert from Arizona State University. We will dive deep into why JK did what he did, the top U.S. scientist and communist party officials who supported him, what happened to the twin girls Lulu and Nana, and what lies ahead for humanity now that this door to human enhancement has been opened.

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Episode Guests

J. Benjamin Hurlbut, PhD is Associate Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University. He studies the governance of biomedical research and innovation, examining the interplay of science and technology with democracy, religious and moral pluralism, and public reason.

Jiankui He is a Chinese researcher who created the first human genetically designed babies, the twin girls known by their pseudonyms, Lulu and Nana. The twins were enhanced to be immune to HIV, the virus that AIDS.

Reference links for this episode

Transcript (thanks B Bishop) https://diyhpl.us/wiki/transcripts/makepeoplebetter/episode-001/

https://www.science.org/content/article/untold-story-circle-trust-behind-world-s-first-gene-edited-babies
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/feb/04/scientist-edited-babies-genes-acted-too-quickly-he-jiankui
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/04/opinion/gene-editing-crispr-fertility-medicine.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

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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