Ashes Ashes

Episode 08 - "A Better You?" Genome engineering, CRISPR-Cas9, gene drives, designer babies, and so much more. Recent breakthroughs have given us the tools and techniques to alter the genetic code of living things around us and even dabble in playing with the very DNA that makes us human. But as the speed of these technological advancements accelerates, we have to ask, "Are we ready?" This week we explore all this and more in "A Better You?" - an in depth look at gene editing and what this means for us today and the very near future. If you want to skip straight to the good stuff and avoid the science talk, jump to 19 minutes. Chapters 00:00:50 Brief History of Gene Therapy 00:05:19 What is CRISPR? 00:08:21 2012 Cas9 Breakthrough 00:09:51 Benefits of CRISPR 00:19:18 Biohacking 00:33:27 Combining Tracking with Genetic Data 00:36:07 Gene Drives 00:44:10 Designer Babies 00:48:09 Unintended Consequences 00:49:50 Lack of Biodiversity 00:51:39 Social Conformity, Inequality, and Stratification in S

Episode 07 - "Last Gasp" There's something in our air that's making us sick - fatigue, eye problems, inability to concentrate, headaches, obesity, even cognitive declines to name just a few symptoms. What's more, this health hazard is increasing at an alarming rate and researchers and doctors are only now beginning to understand just how much trouble we might be in. Join us this week as we explore this rarely reported health risk in "Last Gasp." A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes.org. Find more information along with relevant news and links on your favorite social network @ashesashescast. CC BY-SA 4.0

Episode 06 - "Dead in the Water" While the ocean may seem impossibly vast, human caused climate change may have begun to kick off a mass extinction on a scale never seen before on Earth. The combined effects of warming, deoxygenation, and acidification are wreaking havoc on these vast sections of earth - and the animals that live in it (maybe dooming us in the process). Join us this week as we explore how carbon dioxide (and our role in releasing it) is destroying the world's oceans and may ultimately leave us all dead in the water. A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes.org. Find more information along with relevant news and links on your favorite social network @ashesashescast. CC BY-SA 4.0

Episode 05 - "End of the Road" The vital systems we rely on (roads, bridges, buildings, pipes, and much much more) are crumbling and in desperate need of repairs. Worse, many of these systems are coming up on the end of their life and will require trillions of dollars to fix - just to maintain the economic status quo. Funding is becoming increasingly difficult to find, all while costs are soaring. Can we get out of this infrastructure mess or are we facing the end of the road? A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes.org. Find more information along with relevant news and links on your favorite social network @ashesashescast. CC BY-SA 4.0

Episode 04 - "Net Neutrality" The FCC will vote on December 14, 2017 on whether to reverse common carrier status for broadband under Title II of the Communications Act. This action will have profound effects on the internet and the way it functions. Join us in this episode as we explore exactly what this means for censorship and the future of the internet as we know it. A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes.org. Find more information along with relevant news and links on your favorite social network @ashesashescast. CC BY-SA 4.0

Episode 03 - "Permanent Record" Every minute of your day you're tracked by a host of companies using a plethora of tools and techniques. In this episode, we dig into how this technology has infiltrated the real world, follows you into the digital domain, and shapes the world around you. Join us as we delve into the shadowy reality of corporate surveillance. A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes.org. Find more information along with relevant news and links on your favorite social network @ashesashescast. CC BY-SA 4.0

Episode 02 - "Concrete Reef" Sea level rise is happening faster than anyone expected and recent studies show it's only going to get worse - and far worse than anyone imagine. Cities are already struggling to deal with this catastrophe and people are finding themselves having to confront a tough choice: move or prepare for an expensive, disaster filled future. We explore the science behind this climate change fueled disaster and look at what the future might hold for the millions of coastal dwellers in the next 75 years. A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes.org. Find more information along with relevant news and links on your favorite social network @ashesashescast. CC BY-SA 4.0

Episode 1 - "Thin Ice" A disaster is happening in slow motion at our planet's poles and climate change is to blame. How long can we survive the triggering of this dangerous feedback loop? In this, the inaugural episode of Ashes Ashes, we explore the melting polar ice caps, the science behind this process, and what that might mean for humanity's future. A full transcript is available as well as detailed links and sources (plus credits and more) on our website ashesashes.org. Find more information along with relevant news and links on your favorite social network @ashesashescast.