AHS16 - Ancestral Health Symposium 2016

For good or ill, we humans have been tinkering with our environment since the dawn of our species. First fire and tools, and then with the advent of agriculture, we began breeding desirable traits into our food crops and livestock. Until the last few decades, selective cultivation provided the only means for the purposeful modification of living organisms. Now, our understanding of the chemistry and biology of DNA allows us to directly alter the genetics of just about any creature. “GMOs” have been stirring up a lot of controversy over concerns about their safety. In this talk, I cover how we engineer DNA and address the pros and cons of genetically engineered organisms as assessed through a comprehensive review of literature and the opinions of experts on both sides. I also explore how genetic engineering is rapidly expanding beyond agriculture and the implications for the future of health and technology.