CRISPR for beginners

You might remember the story from last fall: A scientist in China claimed to use the gene editing tool CRISPR to make twin babies resistant to HIV. That specific type of eye-popping genetic experimenting is illegal in the United States, but make no mistake, we are in the middle of a gene-editing gold rush. Big Pharma, agriculture and manufacturing are all clamoring to get in the game. Today we hear from a listener who’s already using the tool in his work, then turn to Wired staff writer Megan Molteni to give us the long view on how CRISPR could affect all of us. Plus, a little “Avengers” talk.
Some links from this week’s episode: Molly’s news fix on Facebook and elections, Kai’s news fix on the Fed and that Politico piece on health care pay we mentioned.