A single scientific breakthrough changed the future of humanity, setting off the third great revolution of modern times. As with any revolution, things didn’t happen neatly or quietly. One figure stood at the center of it all: Jennifer Doudna, the Nobel Prize-winning biochemist who co-created CRISPR. Her invention signified the arrival of a newfound ability to edit our genes, as simply as we edit a sentence, with a word processor.

From Walter Isaacson - the bestselling biographer behind Musk, Einstein and Steve Jobs – and journalist Evan Ratliff (Mastermind, co-host of the beloved Longform podcast) comes a behind the scenes look at the story of Jennifer Doudna.

Her personal trajectory, and that of her collaborators and competitors, tells the story of how we arrived at this new frontier of gene editing. It’s a story filled with global stakes and fiery competition. And a story that touches upon the ethical considerations that gene editing brings.

Season 2: 

He didn’t have a role in Hamilton, but America wouldn’t be the same without him! 

From Walter Isaacson– the bestselling biographer behind Musk, Einstein and Steve Jobs– and journalist Evan Ratliff (Mastermind, co-host of the beloved Longform podcast) comes a behind the scenes look at the story of Ben Franklin, and how his genius shaped our national character. 

From Franklin’s adventures as a mischievous apprentice, to his evolution over 84 years into America’s best writer, inventor,scientist, diplomat, and business strategist… as well as Founding Father, Isaacson covers everything from the wit behind Poor Richard’s Almanac to the wisdom behind the Declaration of Independence; not to mention, how a former slave owner evolved into the shepherd of a near-perfect Constitution. 

In this intimate behind the scenes interview, Isaacson provides a look at how he came to understand Franklin’s remarkable life, how it shaped America’s national identity, and why Ben Franklin matters so much right now. 

Season 1: 

What is it like to shadow Elon Musk for two years? To sit courtside as he builds a rocket? Or tears apart an engineer? Or couch surfs at the homes of billionaires? And how on earth do you make sense of it all? Walter Isaacson is the biographer of giants: DaVinci, Franklin, Doudna, Jobs...and now Musk, former enfant terrible, rocket launcher, electric car innovator, and Twitter—er, X—disruptor, to put it gently. 

In this four-part series, author Evan Ratliff (“Mastermind,” “Longform” Podcast) sits down with Isaacson to draw out the behind-the-scenes stories of this epic biography, and what the writer has learned as an outsider inside Silicon Valley.  

A single scientific breakthrough changed the future of humanity, setting off the third great revolution of modern times. As with any revolution, things didn&rsquo;t happen neatly or quietly. One figure stood at the center of it all: Jennifer Doudna, the Nobel Prize-winning biochemist who co-created CRISPR. Her invention signified the arrival of a newfound ability to edit our genes, as simply as we edit a sentence, with a word processor.
From Walter Isaacson - the bestselling biographer behind Musk, Einstein and Steve Jobs &ndash; and journalist Evan Ratliff (Mastermind, co-host of the beloved Longform podcast) comes a behind the scenes look at the story of Jennifer Doudna.
Her personal trajectory, and that of her collaborators and competitors, tells the story of how we arrived at this new frontier of gene editing. It&rsquo;s a story filled with global stakes and fiery competition. And a story that touches upon the ethical considerations that gene editing brings.
Season 2:&nbsp;
He didn&rsquo;t have a role in&nbsp;Hamilton, but America wouldn&rsquo;t be the same without him!&nbsp;
From Walter Isaacson&ndash; the bestselling biographer behind&nbsp;Musk,&nbsp;Einstein&nbsp;and&nbsp;Steve Jobs&ndash; and journalist Evan Ratliff (Mastermind, co-host of the beloved&nbsp;Longform&nbsp;podcast) comes a behind the scenes look at the story of Ben Franklin, and how his genius shaped our national character.&nbsp;
From Franklin&rsquo;s adventures as a mischievous apprentice, to his evolution over 84 years into&nbsp;America&rsquo;s best writer, inventor,scientist, diplomat, and business strategist&hellip; as well as Founding Father, Isaacson covers everything from the wit behind&nbsp;Poor Richard&rsquo;s Almanac&nbsp;to the wisdom behind the&nbsp;Declaration of Independence; not to mention, how a former slave owner evolved into the shepherd of a near-perfect&nbsp;Constitution.&nbsp;
In this intimate behind the scenes interview, Isaacson provides a look at how he came to understand Franklin&rsquo;s remarkable life, how it shaped America&rsquo;s national identity, and why Ben Franklin matters so much right now.&nbsp;
Season 1:&nbsp;
What is it like to shadow Elon Musk for two years? To sit courtside as he builds a rocket? Or tears apart an engineer? Or couch surfs at the homes of billionaires? And how on earth do you make sense of it all? Walter Isaacson is the biographer of giants: DaVinci, Franklin, Doudna, Jobs...and now Musk, former enfant terrible, rocket launcher, electric car innovator, and Twitter&mdash;er, X&mdash;disruptor, to put it gently.&nbsp;
In this four-part series, author Evan Ratliff (&ldquo;Mastermind,&rdquo; &ldquo;Longform&rdquo; Podcast) sits down with Isaacson to draw out the behind-the-scenes stories of this epic biography, and what the writer has learned as an outsider inside Silicon Valley. &nbsp;

ON CRISPR: The Story of Jennifer Doudna with Walter Isaacson 

Introducing: On Musk with Walter Isaacson

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b26923c9-4995-474a-8524-b0b5016c8e4b/transcript

What if someone told you that you could skip years of therapy with a few mental tricks? It sounded impossible… until we found Neuro-Linguistic Programming. NLP is a form of hypnosis beloved by everyone from sex cults to the U.S. military to fortune 500 companies–yet almost no one knows it exists. 

Long before she co-founded NXIVM, hypnotist Nancy Salzman encountered NLP as a radical method for reprogramming the mind. Her story leads us to its inventor, Richard Bandler, a volatile, self-made guru. As we dig into how it took hold in so many places, we face an unsettling possibility: NLP might actually work.

What if someone told you that you could skip years of therapy with a few mental tricks? It sounded impossible&hellip; until we found Neuro-Linguistic Programming. NLP is a form of hypnosis beloved by everyone from sex cults to the U.S. military to fortune 500 companies&ndash;yet almost no one knows it exists.&nbsp;
Long before she co-founded NXIVM, hypnotist Nancy Salzman encountered NLP as a radical method for reprogramming the mind. Her story leads us to its inventor, Richard Bandler, a volatile, self-made guru. As we dig into how it took hold in so many places, we face an unsettling possibility: NLP might actually work.

New from Kaleidoscope: Mind Games - Episode 1. The Guru's Guru.

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d7a76075-f5e1-48b8-a6b7-b3f6010b82ab/transcript

In the four years since the book’s publication, CRISPR has revolutionized the world of medical treatments and possibilities. But our world has changed drastically, too. As AI’s impact grows, U.S scientists are facing funding cuts like never before. For our final episode, we bring you a live conversation between Walter Isaacson and Jennifer Doudna at the New Orleans Book Festival. In her own words, you’ll hear Doudna explain how CRISPR blossomed from an idea to a phenomenon, and the challenges scientists faces in this politically fraught moment.

In the four years since the book&rsquo;s publication, CRISPR has revolutionized the world of medical treatments and possibilities. But our world has changed drastically, too. As AI&rsquo;s impact grows, U.S scientists are facing funding cuts like never before. For our final episode, we bring you a live conversation between Walter Isaacson and Jennifer Doudna at the New Orleans Book Festival. In her own words, you&rsquo;ll hear Doudna explain how CRISPR blossomed from an idea to a phenomenon, and the challenges scientists faces in this politically fraught moment.

ON CRISPR Episode 5: The Conversation

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/17673457-4536-4815-85ad-b36f01479d67/transcript

As the gene editing field kept growing, so did the dangers. Back in 2018, Jennifer Doudna received an email from a Chinese scientist claiming that he had genetically edited two twin babies. The news reverberated across the world and made Doudna and her colleagues urgently consider the implications of what their discovery could mean for humanity. 

Walter Isaacson sits down with Evan and tells him why the field has always been ripe with ethical questions, and how the COVID-19 pandemic pushed researchers to recalibrate their priorities.

As the gene editing field kept growing, so did the dangers. Back in 2018, Jennifer Doudna received an email from a Chinese scientist claiming that he had genetically edited two twin babies. The news reverberated across the world and made Doudna and her colleagues urgently consider the implications of what their discovery could mean for humanity.&nbsp;
Walter Isaacson sits down with Evan and tells him why the field has always been ripe with ethical questions, and how the COVID-19 pandemic pushed researchers to recalibrate their priorities.

ON CRISPR Episode 4: Franken Monsters

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/452c413b-5722-4623-ad41-b36801715c06/transcript

Introducing: On Musk with Walter Isaacson

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ON CRISPR: The Story of Jennifer Doudna with Walter Isaacson

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