USAID cuts linked to violence, unexpected parallels between humans and bacteria, and how to rule the world

Science Magazine Podcast

Science Podcast

News, News Commentary, Science

4.3 • 842 Ratings

🗓️ 21 May 2026

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

First up on the podcast, Senior International Correspondent Richard Stone joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss the surprising commonalities between our immune systems and the tools bacteria use to defend themselves against viruses. These unexpected parallels have become rich ground for researchers investigating new molecular biology tools and model systems for immune research. Next on the show, Dominic Rohner, a professor of economics at the Geneva Graduate Institute and University of Lausanne, talks about the impact of cuts in international aid on violent conflict in Africa. His team harnessed the natural experiment of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) work stoppage ordered by the Trump administration in early 2025 to find links between the sudden withdrawal of high levels of aid to increases in conflict. See also Science’s 2025 news series on the impact of USAID cuts on children. Finally, Valerie Thompson, Science’s books and media editor, interviews undergraduate student and author Theo Baker. Baker wrote the book How to Rule the World: An Education in Power at Stanford University, which covers the heavy involvement of Silicon Valley investors in Stanford University and his investigation of research misconduct by former Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne. See the full review here. This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This podcast is supported by the Icon School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, an international leader in research, education, and patient care.
0:07.9	The medical and graduate school is part of the Mount Sinai Health System, one of the largest academic medical systems in New York City.
0:15.6	Ranked among the top recipients of NIH funding, researchers at Mount Sinai have made breakthrough discoveries advancing
0:21.9	the health of patients. Here, clinicians and scientists push the boundaries in cardiology,
0:27.5	cancer, immunology, neuroscience, genomics, geriatrics, environmental medicine, and artificial
0:34.0	intelligence. The Icon School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, we find a way.
0:41.0	This is a science podcast for May 21st, 2026.
0:45.0	I'm Sarah Crespi.
0:46.2	First this week I talk with senior international correspondent, Rich Stone,
0:50.2	about the evolutionarily deep roots of our immune system.
0:53.5	There are surprising parallels between us and the way bacteria and archaea fight off viruses.
1:00.2	After that, we have researcher Dominic Roner.
1:02.7	He talks about the links between cuts in international aid and violent conflict.
1:06.8	His team harnessed the natural experiment of the USAID work stoppage, ordered by the Trump administration, to study this connection.
1:15.8	After that, books editor Valerie Thompson interviews student and author Theo Baker.
1:20.5	Baker's book, How to Rule a World, covers his investigation of research misconduct by former Stanford president, Mark Tessier Levine.
1:34.6	We've probably all heard of CRISPR and maybe restriction enzymes. These are super important
1:39.8	tools for editing genes, for genetic engineering, cutting into DNA specifically in the lab.
1:46.7	These are borrowed from bacterial systems designed to fight off the viruses that attack them,
1:52.0	called phage. We don't have CRISPR in our cells. Plants don't have it. And this lack of similarity,
1:58.5	this lack of CRISPR, lack of restriction enzymes, it's been thought
2:02.0	that that's the theme. We don't have the same pools for fighting off viruses as bacteria and archaea.
	...

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