Can virtual reality make us more empathetic?

In this episode of Moonshot Radio, filmmaker and immersive media artist Gabo Arora explores how VR can move beyond entertainment and become a powerful tool for emotional connection.

We talk about the promise and limits of immersive storytelling — what happens when audiences are no longer passive viewers but embodied participants. Does stepping into someone else’s world deepen empathy? Or does it risk simplifying complex realities into emotional spectacle?

We also explore the ethical dimensions of immersion, the responsibility of creators working with powerful emotional technologies, and how we might design digital tools that strengthen — rather than erode — our shared humanity.

This episode invites us to rethink technology not as distraction, but as a medium for connection.

Your DNA is everywhere. Who gets to read it—and what story will they tell?

In this episode of Moonshot Radio, I speak with artist and biohacker Heather Dewey-Hagborg, known for reconstructing human faces from discarded DNA. Her groundbreaking project Stranger Visions exposed how easily genetic material can be collected from everyday objects, and how quickly it can be transformed into data, prediction, and identity.

We explore the expanding world of biosurveillance: how our bodies—DNA, microbes, facial features, fingerprints, even breath and heat—are increasingly tracked, analyzed, and categorized by governments and corporations.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Forensic DNA phenotyping and the rise of “DNA mugshots”

• Chelsea Manning and the politics of algorithmic identity

• Biobanks, newborn blood spots, and the hidden afterlives of our biological samples

• Genetic prediction of behavior—and its use in courts

• The risks of eugenics, “designer genetics,” and data-driven purity narratives

• Whether biotechnology will deepen inequality—or help us reconnect

This episode asks urgent questions about privacy, agency, and control in an age where biology itself has become legible.

What does identity mean when your genetic blueprint can be read, stored, sold, and interpreted?

What does it mean to be human when our bodies can be redesigned, regenerated, and reprogrammed?

In Episode 7 of Moonshot Radio, Linda Du is joined by Amy Karle, a pioneering bioartist and futurist working at the intersection of biotechnology, regenerative medicine, and the human body.

Born with a life-threatening cranial defect, Amy’s personal history deeply informs her practice. Through living artworks that grow, heal, and evolve, she challenges us to rethink identity, imperfection, and the role of technology in shaping our future.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The body as an interface between biology and technology

• Regeneration, stem cells, and bioengineered organs

• Art as a tool for asking ethical and philosophical questions science alone can’t

• Longevity, legacy, and what we leave behind — on Earth and beyond

• How biotechnology may reshape evolution and our sense of self

This episode is a meditation on healing, embodiment, and the future of the human form, where art doesn’t just represent life, but actively participates in it.

What if death could be treated as a pause?

In this episode of Moonshot Radio, I speak with Emil Kendziorra, founder of tomorrow.bio, about cryopreservation (cryonics) as a real-world bridging technology — preserving people after legal death in the hope that future medicine can cure the underlying disease, reverse aging, and one day revive them.

We unpack biostasis vs cryopreservation, why revival isn’t possible yet, the ethics of access and inequality, how time scarcity shapes meaning, what memory and identity might look like after revival, and how Tomorrow Bio actually operates end-to-end (subscriptions, life insurance, medical response, long-term storage).

#MoonshotRadio #TomorrowBio #Cryonics #Cryopreservation #Biostasis #Longevity #LifeExtension #Bioethics #FutureOfMedicine #Neuroscience #SciencePodcast #TechPodcast

What if cities weren’t built around roads but around airspace?In this episode of Moonshot Radio, host  @du_mplings  sits down with Leo Kayali, founder of Invo Station, to explore a radical vision for the future of transportation: fully autonomous, electric flying vehicles designed to scale like cars.A former Tesla engineer, Leo shares how personal loss during COVID reshaped his sense of urgency and why he believes rethinking movement is one of the fastest ways to reduce emissions, reclaim time, and redesign urban life.In this conversation, we explore:✈️ Why most “flying car” concepts fail at scaleThe safety, cost, and infrastructure challenges holding the industry back and why simply scaling up drones doesn’t work.🛸 A UFO-inspired design for urban flightHow enclosing propellers inside the vehicle body radically improves safety, redundancy, and noise, and enables street-level takeoff and landing.🤖 Autonomy first, not as an afterthoughtWhy Invo Station is building AI-driven air highways that mirror existing road networks, instead of point-to-point chaos in the sky.🗺️ Air traffic like Google MapsHow Leo’s team is designing vertical and horizontal “lanes” in the air to regulate traffic at city-scale.⚖️ Regulation is finally catching upWhat recent FAA rule changes and White House executive orders mean for eVTOLs, autonomous flight, and commercial deployment.(Featuring insights on the Federal Aviation Administration certification process.)💰 From $10M aircraft to $60K flying vehiclesHow Invo Station plans to bring costs down through manufacturing design, mass production, and software-driven business models.🏙️ Who are the first customers?From individual owners to ride-sharing, family vehicles, emergency response, and cities themselves.🧠 AI beyond driving: fundraising, ops & leadershipHow Leo is using AI agents for fundraising, sales, marketing, and simulation—and why he believes most white-collar work will be automated.🔋 What comes next: solid-state batteries & Blackwell GPUsWhy breakthroughs in energy storage and compute change what’s possible right now, not in 50 years.🌍 Optimism without denialWhy Leo believes technological progress, when paired with ethics and systems thinking, can still bend the future in a better direction.This episode isn’t just about flying cars—it’s about how infrastructure shapes civilization, and what happens when we design mobility for people, not congestion.⸻🔔 Subscribe to Moonshot Radio for conversations with the founders, scientists, and builders reprogramming our future.⸻References & Links (from the episode) • Invo Station • Joby Aviation • NVIDIA Blackwell GPU platform • Waymo autonomous vehicles • FAA powered-lift / eVTOL rulemaking (SFAR No. 120) • Isaac Asimov — Three Laws of Robotics

Who gets to control the Earth’s thermostat?

In this episode of Moonshot Radio, host Linda Du speaks with Luke Iseman, founder of Make Sunsets, a startup experimenting with solar geoengineering by releasing reflective particles into the stratosphere to cool the planet.

Luke’s work has ignited global debate about ethics, governance, risk, and radical action in the face of climate collapse. This conversation goes deep into the science, philosophy, and urgency behind a technology many consider taboo.

Themes:

• Solar geoengineering explained

  How releasing sulfur dioxide (SO₂) into the stratosphere mimics volcanic eruptions to reflect sunlight and reduce global temperatures.

• From science fiction to startup reality

  How Termination Shock inspired Luke to investigate geoengineering—and why scientific consensus existed long before public action.

• Why entrepreneurs act when institutions stall

  The tension between academic caution, government inaction, and founder-led experimentation in an accelerating climate crisis.

• Cloud seeding vs. stratospheric aerosols

  The difference between traditional cloud seeding (using silver iodide) and high-altitude aerosol reflection, and why Make Sunsets chose the latter.

• Regulation (or lack thereof) in the stratosphere

  Why international airspace law remains unresolved above ~20km, and what Luke learned from engineers who worked on Project Loon.

• Cooling credits & climate economics

  How Make Sunsets sells “cooling credits” directly to individuals, why governments and corporations have been slow to engage, and what this reveals about carbon markets.

• Carbon markets, fraud & moral hazard

  A critical look at voluntary carbon credits, including findings that large portions may be ineffective or fraudulent.

• Public backlash & political controversy

  From scrutiny by the Environmental Protection Agency to reactions from climate activists and regulators.

• Is geoengineering playing God?

  Why Luke argues that everything we already do, from flying planes to burning fossil fuels, is geoengineering, just in the wrong direction.

• Scaling planetary infrastructure

  What it would take to meaningfully cool the planet, from balloon launches to military-grade deployment by G20 nations.

• Other frontier climate ideas

  Including space-based sunshades like those proposed by the Planetary Sunshade Foundation, nuclear power revival, and climate-aligned AI infrastructure.

• Activism, blockchain & coordination at scale

  Reflections on movements like Extinction Rebellion, DAOs, crypto-enabled coordination, and what GameStop-style collective action could mean for climate.

• Work, automation & post-scarcity futures

  Drawing on ideas from David Graeber, including critiques of “bullshit jobs” and what people might build if survival wasn’t the constraint.

• Immigration, innovation & global growth

  Why openness to migration, experimentation, and building may matter more than any single technology.

This episode doesn’t offer easy answers, but it confronts the uncomfortable reality that not acting may be the most dangerous choice of all.

What happens when life itself becomes programmable?

In this episode of Moonshot Radio, host Linda Du speaks with Andrew Hessel: futurist, synthetic biologist, and co-founder of GP-write; about the radical shift underway in biology, where DNA is increasingly treated like software and living systems can be designed, edited, and built from scratch.

Andrew explains how synthetic (or “digital”) biology is transforming medicine, food, and industry, and why the ability to read and write genetic code could reshape evolution itself. From cancer-fighting viruses and personalized “n-of-one” gene therapies to human cloning, longevity, and biological banking, this conversation explores both the promise and the peril of engineering life.

We also dive into the ethical, regulatory, and security challenges that come with unprecedented biological power:

– Who regulates programmable life?

– How do we prevent misuse, lab leaks, or bio-engineered pandemics?

– What happens when individuals — not governments — can design viruses or proteins?

Andrew shares insights from his work on Humane Genomics, the future of personalized cancer treatments, and why biodefense and global cooperation are now existential priorities. The conversation expands beyond biology into big questions about mortality, digital twins, cloning, AI-assisted parenting, and what it might truly mean to pursue immortality.

At its core, this episode asks a fundamental question:

As we gain god-like powers over life, are we ready for the responsibility?

🎙️ Guest: Andrew Hessel

🧬 Topics: Synthetic Biology, Genomics, Biosecurity, Longevity, AI & Life, Ethics of Engineering Life

🌍 Part of Moonshot Radio, a podcast exploring the people and technologies reprogramming our future.

Subscribe for more conversations on what it means to be human in the age of technology.

What happens when intimacy becomes something we can design, program, and scale?In this episode of Moonshot Radio, host Linda Du sits down with Philipp Fusenegger, founder of Cybrothel, to explore the emerging world of AI sex dolls, synthetic companionship, and the technologies reshaping human desire.We dive into: • How Cybrothel builds responsive AI sex dolls • Why synthetic relationships are becoming mainstream • The psychology behind digital intimacy • Ethical and societal implications: consent, autonomy, and attachment • What happens when machines learn to meet our deepest needs • The future of relationships in a world where not all partners are humanIf you’re curious about the intersection of AI, sexuality, psychology, and the future of human connection, this episode is for you.

What happens to our sense of self when our bodies spill into screens, avatars and AI-generated worlds?

In this episode of Moonshot Radio, host Linda Du speaks with interactive media artist Jo Ho about digital corporeality, the messy, material, and very physical reality behind our supposedly “immaterial” technologies.

Together they explore:

• Why our phones, headsets and screens aren’t weightless at all, and how Jo’s installations expose the wires, circuits and “forgotten materiality” behind our digital lives.

• Avatars, gaming and VRChat: how queer communities use digital bodies to explore identity, safety and freedom beyond the limits of the physical world.

• AI as both collaborator and threat in art—what’s really at stake with scraped datasets, authorship, and the difference between art and craft in an age of generative images.

• Relationships with chatbots and robots, the limits of haptics, and why human touch, mistakes and awkwardness still matter.

• A manifesto eaten by an LLM: Jo’s work on how language gets flattened, sanitized and emptied of emotion by automated systems.

• NFTs, value, and speculative futures for blockchain beyond pure hype and flipping JPEGs.

If you’re curious about where the body ends and the machine begins, this one’s for you.

Welcome to Moonshot Radio, a show where we pause amid rapid technological change to ask deeper questions about the world we’re building. Each episode, host Linda Du speaks with the thinkers, artists, and innovators reprogramming our future.

Together, we explore what’s coming next, how technology is reshaping our societies, and what it truly means to be human in the age of machines.

Subscribe and join us on the journey.