Cold Logic

CRISPR & the Forbidden Genome: Editing Ethics and the Superhuman Arms Race

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In this cinematic episode of Cold Logic, Silas Gray pulls back the veil on the explosive frontier of human alteration: CRISPR and the Forbidden Genome. Once the stuff of speculative fiction, genome editing is now real, precise, and inheritable—and the global conversation over who gets to rewrite humanity is fracturing. From the medical breakthrough of CRISPR-based therapies like Casgevy that are curing sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, to the scandal of the “CRISPR babies” and the uneasy comeback of He Jiankui, this episode traces the scientific, ethical, geopolitical, and human stakes in the emerging superhuman arms race. We dig into the international push for a moratorium on heritable human genome editing, the fractured governance landscape (including WHO’s frameworks), the rise of clandestine enhancement programs and black-market editing, and the risk of biological inequality as enhancement becomes a new axis of power. Through storytelling, expert context, and sobering reflection, Cold Logic asks: once you can edit the code of life, who decides what’s allowed, what’s enhanced, and what gets erased? Listeners will come away with a clear map of the tools (CRISPR, base and prime editing), the controversies, the proposed global social contract, and actionable steps to engage—because the future of humanity’s genome shouldn’t be written behind closed doors.

#CRISPR #ForbiddenGenome #ColdLogicPodcast #SilasGray #GenomeEditing #SuperhumanArmsRace #HeJiankui #Casgevy #EthicsInBiotech #HeritableEditing #MoratoriumOnHHGE #GeneticGovernance #Bioethics #WHOGenomeFramework #EnhancementVsTherapy #BiologicalInequality #GeneEditingRegulation #GenomeSocialContract #Biosecurity #HumanUpgrade Sources & Key References:
  • FDA approval of CRISPR-based therapies (Casgevy and Lyfgenia) for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, marking the first clinical deployment of human genome editing for inherited disorders. U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationASGCTPubMedAxiosTIMEInvestopedia
  • Background and fallout of the 2018 “CRISPR babies” experiment by He Jiankui, including analysis of ethical breaches and his return to research, raising questions about norm fragility. PMCThe GuardianTaylor & Francis Online
  • International calls (2025) for a 10-year moratorium on heritable human genome editing to allow global ethical consensus and prevent premature enhancement escalation. ISCT CytotherapyPubMedAlliance for Regenerative MedicineFierce Biotech
  • World Health Organization’s governance framework and policy guidance distinguishing somatic versus germline editing and advocating inclusive global standards. World Health OrganizationWorld Health Organization
  • Evolving national regulatory landscapes and ethical tensions over heritable editing, including competing impulses across jurisdictions and the risk of regulatory arbitrage. Liebert Publishing
  • Scholarly and commentary literature on the need for a biological social contract, equitable access, and the dangers of enhancement-driven inequality (implicit in the broader ethical discourse around genome editing). PMCFierce Biotech
  • Biosecurity concerns and the emergence of clandestine/black-market genome editing and covert enhancement programs that could destabilize geopolitical balance absent transparent oversight. (Inferred from the broader context of dual-use gene editing and global competitive dynamics; synthesis inference based on governance gaps noted in WHO and moratorium discussions.)



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