Mind Children<\/u><\/a>,\u201d that was an early discussion about the future of AI.<\/p>\nWhat could government be doing regarding tech that it isn\u2019t?<\/b><\/p>\n
Lawmakers and regulators should be more on top of the rapid advances in synthetic biology.<\/p>\n
The culture in the field of nuclear physics looked very different after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Nuclear physicists realized that what they were doing was not just creative science, but that they had some responsibility and a need for secrecy when their work could be used to manufacture nuclear weapons technology.<\/p>\n
That same understanding is not very widespread in the biotech world. There is still an emphasis on democratizing access and open publishing and making tools available, but it is a field as dangerous as nuclear physics \u2014 more so, in fact, because even if you knew exactly all the designs, tools and tips needed to manufacture nuclear weapons, you could still not make one because you\u2019d need very difficult-to-obtain raw materials, whereas in biology, you’re not really limited to any difficult ingredients \u2014 so all you require is the knowledge.<\/p>\n
What has surprised you most this year?<\/b><\/p>\n
The failure to fund the pandemic preparedness bill<\/u><\/a> \u2014 specifically the failure to get it fully funded the first time around<\/u><\/a>. I had thought, given COVID, this would be one of the few things that would have bipartisan support. I would have thought that a lot of political interests would have been served in pushing for this.<\/p>\n