Human-Animal hybrids; then Trump’s ‘jokes’

Guests: Monika Piotrowska, Sean Wu, Jody Avirgan

Part lion, part goat, and part snake, the mythological and ferocious chimera has been a major figure in ancient, Greek folklore. The chimera has moved from the realm of myths and into the world of science, where researchers are using the genetics of different animals to create hybrid animals.  In this hour of Radio Times, we delve into what exactly chimera hybrid research is, why the National Institutes of Health recently lifted their moratorium in this field. We also tackle the difficult ethical questions that linger behind the science.  MONIKA PIOTROWSKA, assistant philosophy of biology professor at the University of Albany, join us to discuss these bioethical issues as well as the regulations related to chimera research.  We’ll also hear from SEAN WU, associate professor and director of the Sean Wu Lab at Stanford Medicine, to discuss his work with chimeras. Then, we speak with FiveThirtyEight’s JODY AVIRGAN about when the media should “pull its punches” when it comes to covering the Trump campaign.