Journalist and author Douglas Preston has traveled the world researching his unusual subjects, exploring and chasing adventures. In the first half, he revealed the possible and unintended dangers of the genuine efforts to resurrect the woolly mammoth and other long-extinct life forms. Colossal Biosciences, founded by geneticist George Church and financed in part by the Winklevoss twins, are well along on a project to "de-extinct" the woolly mammoth, Preston reported, and are perhaps five years or less away from their goal. The company, using the powerful gene-editing technique CRISPR, is mixing the woolly mammoth's genome with that of the Asian elephant, he explained.
Preston is concerned we are opening a Pandora's box with the technology, which could lead to humans transforming our own species, as well as bringing back extinct races like the Neanderthals. The Neanderthal genome was sequenced back in 2010, and according to George Church, all it would take is implanting a chimpanzee or an "extremely adventurous human female" to carry the Neanderthal baby to full term. While genetic engineering on humans could be greatly beneficial, such as by editing out genetic maladies like Huntington's disease and sickle cell anemia, there might also be pressure to make your children into superhumans, or create a line of supersoldiers, Preston cautioned. We should pay careful attention to who is doing the engineering and for what purpose, he added.
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John Thomas worked for many years in various technical fields, including software, semiconductors, and battery technologies, and subsequently became interested in sustainability practices. In the second half, he discussed channeled conversations with prominent souls, including Jacques Cousteau, Wayne Dyer, Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, and John McCain, and their insights into what the future holds. Their hopeful messages came through a voice channeler, a woman named Sam Larkin, whom Thomas and his wife Carolyn interviewed when she was in the trance state. In this kind of channeling, "the soul goes through her, it comes into her body and actually takes over her vocal cords," he explained.
One of the positive messages that came through from a number of the souls, including Einstein, is that a new form of clean energy is on the way-- nuclear fusion, which, in contrast to nuclear fission, does not involve radioactive waste. Einstein said fusion could be active within 25 years, Thomas noted. In a channeled session, the late author Wayne Dyer suggested that the Earth was out of balance and was reacting to being treated how humans treat each other in a less than ideal fashion. Thomas also recounted how Tesla revealed that after his death, the US and Serbia took his files and "effectively buried them" as he was working on a wireless transmission of energy that might have been misused as a weapon of war. For more, listen to audio clips of some of the channeling sessions.
News segment guests: Lauren Weinstein, Steve Kates
TRIBUTE to "Barry From Rock Hill:"
George dedicated tonight's program to Barry Poole, a regular caller to the show who recently passed away. From Tom Danheiser's remembrance: Barry's personality and sense of humor grabbed you immediately. He became a regular caller using his signature greeting, "old buddy, old pal, old friend of mine." He was not only part of the show but part of his fellow listeners' lives. A biology and chemistry major, his intelligence would shine through the questions he had for the guests. There was never a doubt the importance Coast had in Barry's life, and for that we are ever grateful.