Finding Genius Podcast

Peter Christey, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of GALT (General Automation Lab Technologies), on the web at (galt-inc.com), discusses his work in microbial cultivation. Christey has over 20-years experience commercializing research instruments for a number of complex applications. Prior to his launch of GALT, Christey helmed the DNA Sequencing Business Unit and DNA forensic product line for Life Technologies. Christey discusses his background and how his focus in microbial cultivation in a laboratory setting drove him to develop microbes for use in multiple areas. He explains proteomics applications, microbial diversity, and his company's platform—detailing how they work to get a pure isolate (a culture of living microorganisms) into culture in the lab in order to study biochemistry and physiology. They strive, primarily, to deliver pure, living isolates to researchers and product developers. Utilizing the GALT technology, entire populations of microbes can be screened efficiently and quickly for low-abundance species or perhaps strains that demonstrate selected characteristics. Estimations have surmised that there are approximately one-trillion microbial species on our planet, but remarkably, less than one percent of the known species have actually been cultured. So many species remain unexplored and we just don't have any information on them. Christey discusses how isolates are understood, and how scientists can test them. He discusses the microbiome, and the growth media that they use in their research. And he provides extensive information on how bacteria grow, and the requirements that are necessary, including a discussion of symbiotic relationships.

Michael Schwarz, director of the popular PBS / NOVA documentary, "Look Who's Driving," provides some interesting information on artificial intelligence (AI) and the current state of autonomous vehicles. How do self-driving cars (autonomous vehicles) work and is society ready to trust them? In this interesting podcast, director Michael Schwarz discusses the expanding technology that is pushing its way into the transportation industry. Schwarz talks about his interests, and the lead up to making his current documentary, "Look Who's Driving." He recounts how he learned about some of the early companies that were seeking to develop autonomous vehicles, and how General Motors was very interested in grabbing the new technology quickly. After many years of waiting and anticipating what they might be like, autonomous vehicles are finally sharing the roads with us at least in testing mode, but experts caution that there are massive challenges to overcome still, and some caution that the tech is just not there yet to provide safety for everyone. Schwarz discusses the safety issues in detail. As he states, there are nearly 40,000 deaths per year on the roads in America, and the idea that developers of autonomous vehicles boast is that their self-driving cars don't drive drunk, drowsy, or distracted, making them, potentially, a safer alternative. Schwarz goes on to discuss the challenges ahead for autonomous vehicles, talking about the high bar that the technology must meet because there are millions and millions of miles driven by human drivers before even one fatality occurs. Schwarz talks about some of the leading companies that are developing these self-driving cars, and how they are focused on pushing the technology to handle the entire driving experience. As he states, although passengers can 'take over' in a potential accident situation, it is perhaps unrealistic to expect a relaxed passenger to suddenly take action effectively. Thus, some say that the technology must be developed until it is good enough to no longer need any human input, or intervention, while driving.

Dr. Gerardo Ceballos, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Ecology of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), discusses his work in conservation efforts worldwide, and the quest for solutions to environmental problems. Dr. Ceballos holds a degree in Biology from the Metropolitan Autonomous University Campus Izatalapa, Mexico. He received his master's degree in Ecology from the University of Wales, working under the close supervision of the well known ecologist, John. L. Harper. And Dr. Ceballos earned a PhD in Ecology from the University of Arizona, working with Dr. James H. Brown. Additionally, Dr. Ceballos has been on sabbatical at the prestigious, Stanford University working in close collaboration with Professor Paul R. Ehrlich, one of the preeminent ecologists of our time. Dr. Ceballos's extensive, important research program addresses the conservation of species and ecosystems, and the connection between conservation and development. Dr. Ceballos discusses his current projects dealing with conservation and extinction crises. He talks about habitat requirements of endangered species and their work to set aside protected areas. As he explains, he and his contemporaries are working to push public policy to do more for conservation. Dr. Ceballos outlines the importance of the Amazon forests due to their incredible diversity of species, many of which are endangered or about to become endangered. He explains how they look at the problems and challenges to develop solutions to maximize their conservation efforts. As species become extinct, human activity is certainly a factor, he states. The type C conservation researcher talks in detail about the general consensus between various governments regarding what needs to be done to preserve species, and to make global actions to curb the extinction crises and climate change. Unfortunately, many governments are not doing what they need to do; they do not seem to understand the severity of these global crises. Wrapping up, Dr. Ceballos discusses ocean conservation, and some of the recent reports that talk about the toxification of water, soil, and air, and what he and his colleagues are trying to do to persuade nations to do more, and now.

Denis Noble, CBE, PhD, FRS, the famed British biologist, delivers an interesting overview of his life's work studying the intricate details of biology and what new developments can mean for the treatment of disease. As a celebrated British biologist, Noble held the Burdon Sanderson Chair of Cardiovascular Physiology at the University of Oxford for two decades and was later bestowed the honor of Professor Emeritus and appointed Co-Director of Computational Physiology. Noble's work has been groundbreaking and he is one of the earliest pioneers of systems biology who developed the very first useful mathematical model of the heart, back in 1960. Noble talks in detail about extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are lipid bilayer-delimited particles—naturally released from a cell but, unlike a cell, they cannot replicate. He discusses the interior of cells, and explains how extracellular vesicles occur, touching on DNA and RNA, and the processes utilized by cells. As he explains, we "used to think that the cells were more or less cut off from each other," but Noble states that this is just not true. Cells are actually exchanging information all the time, and the extracellular vesicles are little packets that contain information for exchange. The celebrated biology expert goes on to discuss how Darwin saw the potential significance of transgenerational information being passed on. Noble explains that we can use the expanding information to develop tools to diagnose and treat diseases earlier on, which will be incredibly beneficial of course to patients. Noble continues, and talks about how digital intelligence and AI can help to organize information and opportunities. He explains how intelligence is created, and discusses his theories on the topic. As one of the world's preeminent biologists and evolution scientists, Noble continues to lead some of the most pertinent discussions in the scientific community regarding life, genetics, and cellular processes.

Most attorneys aspire to one day author a book…to put all of the knowledge and expertise they've compiled over the years into a concise, informative, and easy-to-read guide for prospective clients and the public at large. Attorneys want this because they know the benefits are numerous, but nevertheless, they simply don't have the time to actually sit down and put pen to paper. On today's episode, Richard Jacobs of Speakeasy Marketing, Inc. is joined by Tracy Merda to discuss how you can author a book by putting in a couple hours' worth of your time and simply speaking it. The Speak-a-Book™ method has helped hundreds of attorneys harness the authority that comes with being an author, and the returns are proving to be lucrative. In addition to differentiating you from the others, having your own book to reference will significantly influence the way others perceive your authority and expertise, demonstrate to clients your worth (and one more reason why they should retain your services), allow you to command higher fees, elevate your status as an attorney in your area of practice, bring in many new referrals, increase your chances of being featured in the media, and allow you to hand out copies to hundreds of colleagues and prospective clients almost anywhere you go, for free. This isn't a long process; within 30-60 days, you could have a published book that translates to profit for years to come. Tune in for more information, and visit https://www.jacobsandwhitehall.com/.

In addition to being an author, serial entrepreneur, time management expert, and co-host of the Get-It-Done Guy podcast, Stever Robbins played a critical role in the development and implementation of the internet. Robbins joins the podcast today to share his insight and knowledge on several issues centering on the internet—how it came about, what it's become, and where it's going. He discusses the good and the bad and the strengths and weaknesses of the internet, but expounds on the way it's affecting society as well as people on an individual level. "The internet acts as a tremendous amplifier…if something makes it onto the top 10 list…once it's on the top 10 list…you have audiences in the sizes of millions or billions…the problem is, just because something's on that list doesn't mean it's worth focusing on…" says Robbins. He continues to explain how this can lead to irresponsible social behavior, an emphasis on emotional reactivity, a decrease in our ability to focus, an increase in the prevalence of censorship, the manipulation of our biases, and a disconnection from our own creativity and ability to focus on our goals. Robbins provides an in-depth and eye-opening examination of something that's so commonplace in the modern world that many of us don't even see it anymore. Press play to hear the full conversation. Learn more about Robbins' work at http://www.steverrobbins.com/.

Zack Abbott, PhD, Co-Founder and CEO of ZBiotics (zbiotics.com), discusses his company's mission, acetaldehyde toxicity, and the future of probiotics for health protection. Abbott is the creative scientific mind behind the proprietary technology and foundation for ZBiotics. Abbott holds a PhD in microbiology & immunology from the University of Michigan, where he worked on bacterial gene regulation. He earned his bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley, in immunology as well as classical art and archaeology. In his earlier years, Abbott was a researcher, studying HIV vaccines and pursuing novel antibiotics. Abbott's company has developed ZBiotics™—the planet's first genetically engineered/modified probiotics designed to break down a toxic byproduct of alcohol known as acetaldehyde. He explains how the product works to combat the negative effects of alcohol, discussing the live bacteria aspects and the way they have engineered it to fight those negative effects. As he explains, by mimicking what our livers do to metabolize alcohol, ZBiotics takes its inspiration from nature. Instead of manufacturing the enzyme separately, ZBiotics has engineered some probiotic bacteria to produce this enzyme anew, inside your gut, thereby transferring the trait for acetaldehyde breakdown out of the liver to probiotic bacteria. Abbott talks about the future of ZBiotics, as they look to build new products that can help our bodies handle many potentially problematic issues, from everyday chemicals in alcohol and dairy, to severe contaminants and problems, such as radiation and lead in water health effects.

Joan Diamond, Deputy Director and Senior Scenarist, Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability delivers an overview of her important work educating the public and assisting with the development of solutions for global crises. Diamond is Executive Director of the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and Biosphere, an advanced Stanford University initiative that addresses the chasm between current knowledge of global problems and societies' failure to respond. Diamond is also a visiting scholar at the Center for the Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford, where she actively oversees the Institute of Foresight Intelligence there. Diamond talks about her experience and background. As she states, there is a vast amount of knowledge about the world's major problems, and that many systems are simply not working, from environmental issues such as water/drought to soil degradation, to fragile financial systems (credit/debt issues), etc. Many people are working to shift the trajectory from collapse to sustainability. In her role at the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability, Diamond works to bring minds, public intellectuals, together to meet the world's challenges and assist with overpopulation solutions as well as economic growth and overconsumption solutions. The Deputy Director explains many of the current inequities in the world, such as health care and education quality in developed nations like the United States. Educating the public through library materials, blogs, etc. are some of the ways that the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and Biosphere can make a difference. Diamond talks about their focus—the human predicament, civilization collapse. And as she states, unless societies engage then we are on a somewhat dire path, but individuals can be empowered and come together to find solutions.

Thomas Hartung, MD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, delivers an insightful overview of his work studying toxicity testing improvements, organoids, and advancing technologies. Dr. Hartung has departmental affiliations with the Environmental Health and Engineering and Molecular Microbiology and Immunology departments at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Hartung's work is heavily focused on creating a paradigm shift in toxicity testing to improve overall public health. Dr. Hartung has been an integral part of the implementation of the 2007 NRC vision document known as, "Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century – a vision and a strategy." Dr. Hartung discusses his background, and the road he has taken to arrive at his current place as a leading voice in the discussions concerning toxicity and animal testing. He explains that the technological opportunities have advanced significantly in the last few years. Dr. Hartung discusses 'organ on a chip' technologies and other advanced tissue, etc. work. As he explains, this field is permanently moving. The advancement of organoids, which are small, self-organized 3D tissue cultures that are actually derived from stem cells, is changing the way research is done. The research doctor talks about the importance of toxicity testing, cellular communication and tissue technology, as well as genomics and metabolomics, discussing nutrients, types of cells, and the coming research that will certainly advance the field. Learning from current experiences, he explains that the 'human on a chip' technologies will continue to change as more research is done. Organoids are being used to test various compounds to observe the relative toxicity, but they are utilized for other reasons as well, such as modeling diseases. As Dr. Hartung states, the future will likely bring these types of systems into all kinds of toxicity testing, and replace animal testing altogether if possible.

Katie Hasson, PhD, writer, speaker, researcher, educator, talks about the political and social aspects of human genetic technologies. Hasson has an active role with the Center for Genetics and Society (geneticsandsociety.org) as their Program Director on Genetic Justice. The Center for Genetics and Society is a public interest nonprofit social justice organization that seeks to ensure a fair and impartial future in which human genetic and reproductive technologies will benefit the collective good. Hasson explains the social justice perspective they seek to cultivate through important public discourse regarding human biotechnologies. She discusses her role and her goal of bringing more important and diverse voices into the conversation regarding human gene editing. Hasson explains the current thoughts on human gene editing, and the uses of CRISPR (clustered regular interspaced short palindromic repeats). Hasson outlines the differences in the types of gene editing, discussing treatments for actual patients versus gene editing that could perhaps affect the traits of future generations, the latter of which tends to be the most controversial. She talks about some of the more surprising uses of gene editing that pushed the conversation forward rapidly, talking about some of the ethical and safety issues, as well as social concerns. The science educator talks about the current technologies, and the risks, ethics, and benefits. Hasson explains the concept of normal, in regard to gene editing and the idea that some 'problems' may be edited out. In regard to correcting disease, she discusses the policy that could be implemented pertaining to gene editing uses. Continuing, she talks about some of the international commissions that have pulled together various voices from countries around the world to discuss and think about frameworks for utilizing some forms of gene editing. Hasson holds a PhD in Sociology with a Designated Emphasis in Women, Gender, and Sexuality from the prestigious University of California at Berkeley. She is a former Assistant Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies at the University of Southern California. Also, there is this link for a session about CRISPR Consensus: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL29W0b7TmEDzaW1VsLHndZtBpoOlB5CmI