The Big Question

Dr. Anthony Fauci joins bioethicist Insoo Hyun and Vardit Ravitsky to discuss pandemic threats, from COVID-19 to H5N1. They explore zoonotic transmission, vaccine breakthroughs, and the dangers of misinformation, alongside Fauci’s decades of combating HIV/AIDS. He emphasizes that preparedness, public trust, and equitable healthcare are key to preventing future crises.

Theoretical cosmologist Paul Sutter joins planetarium educator Talia Sepersky to explore space’s biggest questions from the Fermi paradox to the search for life on exoplanets and moons, and even life without planets. They also address the erosion of public trust in science, offering insights on how communication can bridge gaps and inspire renewed support.

Donald Ingber, founding director of Harvard’s Wyss Institute, joins bioethicist Insoo Hyun to explore how biology can drive the future of engineering. They discuss breakthroughs from medicine to manufacturing, the merging of scientific disciplines, and how nature-inspired design can spark innovations that address global challenges, including the climate crisis.

Geneticist Craig Venter joins bioethicist Insoo Hyun to discuss the balance between ethics and innovation in science. Known for sequencing the human genome and creating synthetic life, Venter shares views on CRISPR, digitizing biology, U.S. research culture, and why maverick thinking is vital alongside his work on longevity and early disease detection.

Harvard Medical School Dean George Q. Daley joins bioethicist Insoo Hyun to discuss the ethics of unproven treatments for life-threatening diseases. They explore emotional, spiritual, and medical complexities, weighing hope against risks like harm, exploitation, and lack of safety data, urging a compassionate, evidence-based approach.

Insoo Hyun talks with engineer Ritu Raman about bio-robots, machines powered by living muscle cells, to restore mobility lost to illness or trauma. Inspired by science fiction, Ritu’s work merges biology and engineering to create innovative medical applications, exploring how these technologies can benefit society while avoiding dystopian risks.

Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka joins bioethicist Insoo Hyun to discuss stem cells, longevity, and ethics. They explore the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and their medical potential—from regenerative therapies to species conservation—while reflecting on scientific skepticism, breakthroughs, and the moral questions that come with progress.

Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz of Caltech and Cambridge joins bioethicist Insoo Hyun to explore the “black box” of early pregnancy, when many miscarriages and birth defects occur. Using stem cell–derived embryo models, her team aims to uncover causes of pregnancy loss and genetic disorders, offering hope for infertility while reducing reliance on donated embryos.

Join bioethicist Insoo Hyun and Dr. Rebecca Brendel, director of Harvard’s Center for Bioethics and past APA president, in a deep dive on the US mental health crisis. They discuss the need for infrastructure, workforce shortages, pandemic impacts, stigma, social media’s role, and inclusivity, calling for urgent action to ensure mental health care for all.

Stanford neuroscientist Sergiu Pasca joins bioethicist Insoo Hyun to discuss research transplanting human brain organoids into rat brains. They explore the science and ethics behind this work, from potential insights into psychiatric disorders to the question of whether rats can develop “human-like” consciousness. Together, they break down the complexities.