Biotech entrepreneur Greg Stock tells Kurt Andersen he thinks technology may allow humans to break free of their natural life span. “We are like a dying animal,” he says, “we are stuck to our bodies and yet our minds can soar.”
Stock believes therapeutic interventions to treat diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s will inevitably lead to human enhancement. But if we all start living longer lives, what about the risks of overpopulation? “I have a 7 year old daughter, one that happens to [have been] conceived in a petri dish,” he says. “I feel that she is the luckiest girl alive.”
(Originally aired: November 4, 2011)
Without federal support, local stations, especially in rural and underserved areas, face deep cuts or even closure. Vital public service alerts, news, storytelling, and programming like The World will be impacted. The World has weathered many storms, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to being your trusted source for human-centered international news, shared with integrity and care. We believe public media is about truth and access for all. As an independent, nonprofit newsroom, we aren’t controlled by billionaire owners or corporations. We are sustained by listeners like you.
Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World.