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Big Picture Science

Sex Post Facto (rebroadcast)

Big Picture Science

Big Picture Science

Science, Technology

4.6986 Ratings

🗓️ 16 November 2020

⏱️ 56 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Birds do it, bees do it, but humans may not do it for much longer. At least not for having children. Relying on sex to reproduce could be supplanted by making babies in the lab, where parents-to-be can select genomes that will ensure ideal physical and behavioral traits. Men hoping to be fathers should act sooner rather than later. These same advancements in biotechnology could allow women to fertilize their own eggs, making the need for male sperm obsolete. Meanwhile, some animals already reproduce asexually. Find out how female African bees can opt to shut out male bees intent on expanding the hive. Will engineering our offspring have a down side? Sex creates vital genetic diversity, as demonstrated by evolution of wild animals in urban areas. Find out how birds, rodents and insects use sex in the city to adapt and thrive. Guests: Menno Schilthuizen – Biologist and ecologist, at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center and Leiden University in The Netherlands. His New York Times op-ed, “Evolution is Happening Faster Than We Thought,” is here. Matthew Webster – Evolutionary biologist, Uppsala University, Sweden Hank Greely – Law professor and ethicist, Stanford University, who specializes in the ethical, legal and social implications of biomedical technologies. His book is “The End of Sex and The Future of Reproduction.” Originally aired September 19, 2016 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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That's Shopify. co-deekk slash special offer.

0:32.3

Get ready to geek out. The Wired Science Podcast explores all the

0:36.8

latest and greatest in science, everything from strange diseases and

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biological breakthroughs to interesting tech and mysteries in outer space.

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Listen to Wired Science today wherever you get your podcasts.

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That's Wired Science wherever you get your podcasts.

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Hey, it's Seth and Molly.

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And do we have news for you?

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at patreon.com slash big picture science and this is news for you because after

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Because not only do you keep the radio show going, which is reward in itself,

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but each giving level comes with an extra perk.

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