Dr. Tim Harris is a molecular biologist and biochemist who started work in the biotech industry almost at its inception. In the first half, he shared insights into the evolution and future of biotechnology and the new medical treatments it may offer. Harris traced the roots of biotechnology back to 1976, underscoring its significance in drug discovery and development. He described biotechnology as "the application of technology for biological processes," highlighting its transformative potential in areas like gene therapy and protein manipulation. When asked about the industry's future, Harris expressed optimism, noting that "new technologies are arising, which are enabling us to do even more interesting things" for patient care, including CAR T-cell immune therapy and bespoke cancer vaccines.
Reflecting on the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines, he remarked that going from a standing start to having a vaccine within 12 months was "completely astonishing." Harris credits the advances in biotechnology to academic scientists and venture capital's support, emphasizing their dual role in research and commercialization. He discussed the evolving landscape of biotech and its implications for diseases like multiple sclerosis and lupus, and the need for innovative treatments, stating, "We need to look at those patients who do not do well on the current drugs and find some new ones." While acknowledging the role of artificial intelligence in drug discovery, Harris cautioned against overhyping it, saying, "AI is really large scale data analytics... but drug discovery and drug development is an experimental science."
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Board-certified in Internal Medicine, Dr. Geoffrey Simmons shared his transformative journey from Darwinian supporter to believer in intelligent design, in the show's latter half. "It's becoming more and more obvious that complexity upon complexity... couldn't have come about by accident," and that the evidence for design is overwhelming, he commented. Yet, he noted apparent flaws in human design, and pondered why people are susceptible to diseases and congenital conditions if there is a perfect designer or brilliant engineer behind their creation. Simmons referenced the biblical verse from Isaiah 55:8, citing, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts," to explore the idea that human suffering may have deeper purposes.
He argued that systems within the human body with millions of interacting cells are too intricate to have arisen randomly. The multitude of unique life forms on our planet and their complexities also suggest the hand of intelligent design, he added. For people who believe in Darwin, "I think they have another reason... It's not a scientific argument. It's a political argument," he opined, indicating that they may have adopted this viewpoint as a way to differentiate from religious ideation. Simmons also delved into the concept of reincarnation, sharing his fascination with cases of children recalling past lives.
News segment guests: Howard Bloom, Mish Shedlock