"Natural" "Technology is just nature we taught to do cool tricks" - exurb1a

DNA manipulation? Sounds sketchy... "Bacon grass." I'm in!

I am a geneticist and I can say we have a lot of technology and techniques that can manipulate DNA albeit crudely. The problem at the moment is not the lack of technology but knowledge. At the start of 21st century we taught a gene is responsible for a single trait and we can correct diseases by finding and correcting the responsible gene. But, now we know that apart from a few simple traits, almost every trait is result of combinations and interactions of many genes. We may know what causes a certain disease like color blindness but we are not sure what would happen if we change the causing gene. You could be cured but at the same time become more prone to heart failure. Also, a gene may do different things in different context. A gene may reduce cancer risk for liver while increasing the risk for colon cancer. There is a long way before we are masters of our genes.

6:50 'Penicillin used to be more expensive than gold of the same weight. The first computers cost millions. For something as practical and desirable as genetic engineering, the market demand will eventually make that technology available to everyone.' - Author Liu Cixin

Imagine being able to graze on the bacon fields...

Imagine applying for jobs which have minimum genetic requirements...

Happy authursday everyone

I never thought the scenarios from the Hitman games could actually happen in our world. Genetically modified clone assassins being one of them. Watch out for the weird bald guy wearing a chicken suit!

The last time I was this early Andromeda Strain was in the theatres

Snack: *Ready* Tea: *Ready* Isaac's new video: *Ready* It's learning time.

Genetically modifing kids is absolutely ethical even today. That Chinese scientist that was imprisoned is a hero.

Society: Improving child: needs consent. Making child: no consent needed. Me: What?

I've always thought that DNA manipulation will be the answer to planetary colonization rather than massive terraforming projects. Much easier adapt to extreme temps, low oxygen, etc. than change a whole planet to match our fragile Earth selves.

8:59 considering a little less than half of the population in the first world yeets fetuses on a daily basis I think the ethical question about needing consent to alter their DNA is a bit stupid when we seem to have made the societal decision that they don't matter. Also while all of the other ethical questions raised will be asked, I think they are ultimately pointless. Human desire when it comes to reproduction is selective breeding itself, doing it using technology and playing around with DNA is no different than normal breeding. And the entire point of life is to breed in quantity and quality.

Mr. Arthur, I appreciate your channel not only for how informative it is but also because unlike, say, Kurzgesagt or your average sci-fi show it truly enjoys the possibilities of science rather than wallowing in shallow techno-alarmism. Thank you.

Regarding the GMO food... as great the promise of it is, it is tragically being squandered to produce artificial monopolies in agriculture. I wish more people talked about *that* aspect of it.

There's no clear incentive for the rich to keeping the poor non-transhuman...but there's no incentive for them to keep the poor hungry or homeless, either. I fear that transhumanism will be another way for the rich and powerful to give themselves and their families bug advantages while the lower classes are left behind out of sheer apathy. I guess we need to sort out our big social problems in the next generation or two.

I had a few and especially one professor in college who really did despise people smarter than them. If you came up with a better solution than the one he wanted then woe unto you, especially if it proved his method wrong or at least very much non-optimal. He would take it out on you by grading unfairly. I can certainly see this being a lot bigger of a problem than one might think if the class ended up being filled by designer kids with very high IQs who were much smarter than the professors teaching them, at least until they could take their jobs, which would only add to the issue.

"The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell"

I want to be a genetically optimised human! Sign me up!

For me it isn't impossible, it is a simple Yes. We need to stop being afraid about being 'replaced' by something better!

I think some of the first things we should implement in genetic engineering for humans should be fixing broken vitamin production chains. Or at least modifying our large intestines to be able to absorb vitamins produced by the bacteria living there. After all, they make enough of one of the B vitamins to meet our needs, but it's just wasted because our gut can't absorb it there, so we have to get it from our diet instead.

I just realized that I was waiting for this video ever since I learned about crispr cas-9.

18:46 It's weird how they designed that robot to imitate a person imitating a robot.

The interpolation you did for that ad spot was beautiful and seamless.

Education is also unnatural, expensive and in some way inheritable in a family. Instead of banning education, we try to make it accessible.

My brother has a hearing handycap (like only 15-20% of a normal person) He was born in 1983 and it took over 3 years before someone finally diagnosed him and he got some hearing aids. He cannot properly speak, you probably know what I mean. However today hearing tests after birth are mandatory and this type or missed speach developement doesnt happen anymore and that is a good thing. Even my brother agrees. If we can fix issues in the human body we should do it!

“Probably one of the best known traits of smart people is the tendency to want to make other people smarter.” I can’t help but find this relatable. I love telling people random facts or talking about something I know a lot about.

o/~o/~o/~ You'll remember me as the west wind moves... Upon the fields of bacon. You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky... As we walk in fields of pork. o/~o/~o/~

When I look at Dog types or Cannabis strains I am amazed at the variations we have created over sometimes thousands of years of breeding. Looking at a Pug Dog & a full size Wolf it is hard to see they are related & quite amazing.

From the visuals to the pacing and scripting; this channel has grown a lot and I been here since the megastructures series came out. It is like every new video raise the standard a little more.

One of the little recognized aspects of Huxley's "Brave New World" is that most of the citizens were satisfied and happy.

Cheers to the only channel I subscribe too. Keep the videos coming!!

There is a recent genetic engineering method that allows for the modification of already existing adult life forms. The genetic engineering of adult life forms is not a future technology it is a now technology. Although it is still in its infancy it does exist now. The technology was stumbled across during a cancer research project. The project was studying the use of silver nanoparticles in cancer treatment. The idea was to create silver nanoparticles large enough to where they would not fit inside the natural openings in healthy adult human cells. But small enough so that they could fit inside the natural openings of cancer cells which are several times larger than the openings in healthy human cells. The silver nanoparticles get inside the cancer cells then you hit the subject with a short non-harmful burst of microwaves. This is not enough to cause any harm or damage to the cells on their own but it is enough to heat up the silver nanoparticles causing the cancer cells to burst from the inside. It was found after studying the silver nanoparticles that they could easily make them small enough to fit inside healthy human cells. They could also Taylor them to carry crispr into the healthy human cells. With this method they found that it was possible to conduct the genetic engineering of adult healthy human cells utilizing crispr delivered by silver nanoparticles. This technology is in its infancy it is still being researched and studied but it appears to be a viable method of genetically engineering adult humans. I do not know if this method is viable for other living organisms the cancer research project focused on human cells. I never bothered to look into whether or not it was a viable method for other species cells or how it would react with them.

I could sure need some new and improved cloned organs right now. I'll happily take the risks of being a test subject for new genetic engineering.

This is my goal in life. I'm already a medical student and I had my eyebrows raised at the title. It's going to be a long, expensive process before we can get anything done. Designer babies are a thing and it's imperative that we get this done ASAP so by the time designer babies grow up, we can reverse any changes they don't want.

I look forward to your video upload every week. They always make me think outside the box of daily life. Keep up the good work. 👋

I hope I can lengthen my telomeres before heading to Mars

Thanks again my friend! This looks simply fabulous!

This channel never gets old

DNA: *exists* Scientists: It's free real estate.

AWESOME SHOW ISAAC THANKS!

You're the one of the only ones who actually creates amazing and learning contents! Thank you!

Anything that gets us closer to having space marines is a good thing 👀 Hopefully not accompanied with an almost complete loss of scientific knowledge and praying to toasters to honour their machine spirit.

Another amazingly informative and thought-provoking video. Thank you, Isaac.

_@ Isaac - Two items: I’ve been a fan of yours for years, and enjoy your videos. I also want to thank you for your honorable dedication for your service in the United States Army._ My two cents; Recombinant DNA research concerns me (My first novel exposing me to the topic was Dean Koontz, Watchers). Not the thought of our ability to come up with the technology, but the implementation of the technology. I shudder to think of a scenario like CRISPR, perhaps 10-20 years down the line, stemming from the research from He Jiankui (2018 - Nana and Lulu twins disabling the CCR5 gene), and for some company like Theranos (Elizabeth Holmes) to obtain and ‘develop’ this technology. The benefits, I believe, are potentially breathtaking and world changing, but like any other developing field of study, we must match our progression in science with the appropriate level of diligence and analyzing downstream effects. Last thought: These videos clarify the best of what our children and descendants can expect as we progress towards the bright light of our future as a species.

"fields of bacon grass that we mowed like hay has its appeal; most things involving bacon do" OMG, I'm going to have to find an excuse to use this. I don't know how, but I'll try.

I look forward to Thursdays thanks to you, I was so disappointed yesterday when I realized it wasn't Isaac Arthur day... 😢😂🤣

3 Words, Genetically Engineered Catgirls (And other animal variations).

another great video isaac

Speaking of genetics and enhancements Altered Carbon season 2 is out today

Full genetic and cybernetic steam ahead all the nay sayer can live in reserves!

Superb programming! Always hitting the topics I want to know about!

This is a really cool topic, thanks Isaac

There’s a lot to explore here in science fiction. Imagine a future world where society has highly advanced control over genetics and actually did have bacon grass

Time to learn. Thank you sir.

Well I'm definitely glad to see this video, I think it really deserved to be split into two. Thanks for the video awesome as ever

oooh snap that was one seamless transition at the end. i hardly knew what was happening.

Another proposal, for genetic alterations significant enough to risk rejection: harvest some bone marrow (possibly a lot of it, or maybe just a little and then grow more), irradiate the patient to wipe their immune system, apply the genetic alteration to both the patient and their sample bone marrow, then once that presumably long process is complete on both sides, put the altered bone marrow back into the altered patient. The healthy bone marrow can then start re-building the immune system, but now with all the genetic markers that the therapy has altered already in it and recognized.

If they could come up with a way of fixing joint damage due to wear and tear (osteoarthritis) so we don’t need hip and knee replacement it would be nice.

Did I suggest this topic? I believe I did. Thanks, Isaac.

I think I saw this plot in The Secret of NIMH, DNA enhanced rats and mice.

I had to laugh at the visual of a tree that grows meatballs. I can see that being a thing in the future.

"Don't you know, pig and elephant DNA just won't splice!"

The recent accidental discoveries of attack T-cells that target most human cancers really gives hope for genetic therapy. Both for vanity; life extension and treatment. Hopefully they can make a cancer vaccine or similar from this discovery so we can experiment. I personally have been deeply concerned about slow development in genetic therapy and hopeful for rapid development as my father may have been exposed to dna altering substances during his tours in Vietnam that might cause me sever issues fairly soon in my life.

21:57 Man, that's one slick segue.

As usual the potential of microalgae is pretty underrated. It is kind of obvious that no other plant will ever be able to produce the same percentage of proteins, starch and oils than the various species of microalgae because plants have to grow roots, leaves and stems while microalgae do not need to do so. Further microalgae do not need any kind of gravity to grow. The thought that starch and proteins from microalgae would be slimy is an urban legend. They are just the most effective way to grow the most essential compounds of the human diet.

For those of us having withdrawals from Isaac's catchphrases: The first rule of warfare is to grab a drink and a snack

0:50 So it looks like we WILL be getting those Cat Girls in the future after all! *Elon Musk be praised!*

Humans: We have the ability to improve ourselves genetically but don't because reasons. Every other alien race: Are you @#$%ing @#%^%*ed bro? Wait... nevermind... of course you are.

happy arthurs Day. Genforming and DNA manip are my favourite discussions here. so thank you Isaac

From Dr. Hsu: The corresponding ethical issues of genetic engineering are complex and deserve serious attention in what may be a relatively short interval before these capabilities become a reality. Each society will decide for itself where to draw the line on human genetic engineering, but we can expect a diversity of perspectives. Almost certainly, some countries will allow genetic engineering, thereby opening the door for global elites who can afford to travel for access to reproductive technology. As with most technologies, the rich and powerful will be the first beneficiaries. Eventually, though, I believe many countries will not only legalize human genetic engineering, but even make it a (voluntary) part of their national healthcare systems. The alternative would be inequality of a kind never before experienced in human history. I believe that in the end all will benefit from such universal program, guaranteeing everyone being born healthy, fit and intelligent. The question is for what should we use genetic engineering, and I refer to that the question that we should only augment the potential towards non-positional traits. Nick Bostrom said: A positional good benefits you only because others lack it. Height may be an advantage in men, but if everybody were three inches taller, nobody would be better off. Attractiveness may be another example of a positional good. A gain for one person implies a relative loss for others. I would contrast that with a trait like health. Your life is better when you are healthy, even if others are also healthy. Cognitive enhancements are a complex topic, but they have aspects that are intrinsically valuable. It is good if we can understand the world better. Arguments against positional goods are no arguments against enhancements as such. It seems for me, on basis of non-positional traits, that it is legitimate to enhance prenatally. It does not take away potential but gifts them with ones.

I never really realized that Isaac was a Memelord with all the easter-egg references hidden in his videos, but it makes perfect sense and I appreciate it.

Interesting thanks for sharing.

this is some high quality stock footage

It's kinda funny that you would mention genetically modifying algae or whatever to produce milk instead of cows… A few months ago, I watched a live stream of someone designing a genetic alteration to yeast to produce deer milk proteins. (Deer milk was chosen, it was explained, because it didn't have a copyright or patent on it. And it's safe for human consumption.) I believe they also designed some edits to yeast to produce egg white proteins, with the goal of allowing protein producible cultures of yeast to be kept at home and used as a cost effective alternative to keeping chickens or buying eggs that someone else kept the chickens for. Same with the milk producing yeast. Personally, I think this genetically modified yeast would be an excellent way to make protein rich yeast rolls or another bread or cake thing. All you need is a small bioreactor for each strain of yeast, and some simple and cheap food stock to keep the yeast cultures alive and multiplying, and you have practically endless protein bread. (Okay, you might need to obtain some flour from somewhere, too.) It should be noted that I may have possibly misremembered some details about the yeast modifying video. There was a lot of chatting going on at the time, and ideas thrown around, and it was a while ago.

15:00: Meaningful and workable definition of "artificial": Anything humans do. You didn't ask for a _useful_ definition...

As a Blender user, I was way more exited than I should have been to see Susanne in one of those clips.

I'm always impressed by your critical thinking skills Isaac. You always bring up good points.

Recently, scientists were able to edit the genes in mice with a form of CRISPR. They reversed the genes in the mice that were producing autistic expressions in the mice. They say that this could potentially lead to gene editing post utero. Maybe even adults.

I'll take one of everything on the menu. Thank you.

Gonna have me an army of farmer squirrels.

Larry Niven is a master example of using and posing these questions in his stories so naturally that you don't even think about it till after you've finished one. Then you can't get them out of your head!

If DNA replacement was practical, but whole organ cloning wasn't yet, it could be very useful for transplants. Then donated organs could be genetically altered to be compatible with the recipient prior to transplant and reduce or eliminate rejection. Presumable this is something the Vidiian in Star Trek Voyager used, since they clearly didn't have the tech to just clone clean organs from scratch.

Man I always wondered if us adults had a chance...gonna watch the video to find out. A timely upload indeed

A good short story to read on this: Gene Wars by Paul J McAuley written c. 1990-1991

Last time I was this early I was still fertilizing the egg

The role playing game Transhuman Space by Steve Jackson Games from almost 20 years ago took a serious look at some of the issues being raised here post 2100.

I am currently working on a sci-fi novel in the setting people had previously moved to gene tailoring because programming your bone marrow to produce graphene instead of calcium is safer and less invasive than surgically installing graphene bones.

What about people who commit crimes using some genetic "hack?" Do we involuntarily remove their hacks as part of their sentence?

For looking to earlier precedents in human behavior, you might also look at epigenetic 'alterations'. Between 1890 and 1980, the average American man grew by around 8 centimeters. I'm not sure where a clear ethical line can be made between making someone by altering their genetics, and making someone taller by feeding them more protein as a child. Humans have always been doing that, and succeeding, even if they didn't know the mechanism of 'how'.

Nice Dashlane segue.

Thanks for making my whishes a bit more realistic on my birthday :)

IN DOGS IN SPACE SOME TYPES OF SOCIAL INSECTS WERE MODYFIED TO SURVIVE ON A PULSAR PLANET THEY FEED ON RADIOWAVES BUT THEY CAN ALSO BROADCAST THEM AS WELL

That NordVPN segue was smooth as heck

FOR EXAMPLE, KARA THE HUSKY WITH THE BIOLUMENESCENT FUR HAS THE SAME SENSE OF SMELL AS A NORMAL DOG OR IT WAS ALSO ENCHANCED [MEANING HER SENSE OF SMELL]

One of those topics that sends chills down my spine

My name is KHAN!

The mitochindria is the powerhouse of the cell!

I hope one day we have hermit crabs the size of horse that can live on the Mars colony.