Humans have been shaping the course of evolution for a long time, but with today's gene editing technologies our power to determine the fate of life on Earth is reaching new levels. With the extinction crisis looming, should we use these new editing tools to rescue threatened organisms? Are we playing god? In her new book, Life As We Made It, Beth Shapiro helps us understand our long history exerting evolutionary pressure, the state of the science, and the ethical questions confronting conservationists today. 
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We Are As Gods

Exploring the connection between humans, nature, and the powers shaping our new geologic age.
Hosted by Michael Osborne and produced by 14th Street Studios.

Natural Sciences

Science & Medicine

Science

Earth Sciences

Humans tend to think that our intelligence is the most distinguishing trait of our species. Collectively our intelligence has given us god-like powers. But what exactly is intelligence, and how did it evolve? How do we measure intelligence in other species, and how might we use that information to protect organisms in the wild? Joshua Plotnik is a professor at Hunter College in New York, and he's part of a community of researchers who are re-examining some of these fundamental questions. Josh is also developing techniques to use measures of animal intelligence in order to test novel strategies for conservation. 
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The Nature of Intelligence

The tone around conservation is often pretty heavy and it’s hard not to feel a sense of despair. But maybe there are opportunities in the world of conservation that we are not fully taking into account. The truth is, organisms and ecosystems have built-in defense mechanisms to respond to rapid change that might just be the secret to combatting the negative effects of the Anthropocene.

In his new book, The Rescue Effect, author Michael Webster explores the many ways in which nature is responding to disruption. And what he details has big implications for how we think about evolution and how we conserve and protect species. 

This episode is sponsored by Magic Mind:
Try it today by going to https://www.magicmind.co/genanthro and use my code “GENANTHRO20" for 20% off all orders and for a limited time 40% off a subscription!
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The Rescue Effect

Today's episode is a cross-promotion with the Planet Texas podcast. We are featuring the first episode of the series.

The Ogallala Aquifer is the biggest aquifer in North America, and it accounts for more than 30 percent of all agriculture in the United States. And… it’s running out of water. Climate change is making the naturally hot and dry climate of the Texas Panhandle even worse. Farmers are working desperately to keep their crops alive, and the secret to survival is adaptability.
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Planet Texas, Ep1

As a species, our intelligence is probably the single most important quality that sets us apart from every other organism that has ever lived. But it’s not so much our abilities as individuals, but rather it’s our collective and accumulated knowledge. All of the drivers of the Anthropocene are only possible because of our capacity to transfer knowledge down through generations. So when exactly did that process begin? When did we start to behave in a way that was fundamentally “human,” and can we shine light on the process of intergenerational knowledge transfer? Professor April Nowell is a cognitive archeologist at the University of Victoria who studies the lives of Ice Age children. In this conversation she helps us hone in on some of the key moments in the deep past where humans started acting in a fundamentally new way, and began to set the stage for growing into a geologic force.
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Human Origins

What the subcultures of Preppers can teach us about preparing for environmental destruction. 
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We Are As Gods

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