Michael Regilio

But that's because scientists have mapped the DNA of Neanderthals with one sample taken from a 38,000 year old Neanderthal in Croatia. And great, great, great grandma may not have kissed and told, but the DNA doesn't lie. Humans and Neanderthals bred with each other around 65,000 years ago.

That's pretty damn fascinating, actually. Yeah, DNA is pretty damn fascinating. Our understanding and ability to manipulate it is a game changer. For instance, genetic engineers can modify the DNA of the plants we eat to improve diets and food distribution. So GMOs, basically. Yeah, look, obviously that is its own episode, but everything was genetically modified long before we had a word for it.

That's pretty damn fascinating, actually. Yeah, DNA is pretty damn fascinating. Our understanding and ability to manipulate it is a game changer. For instance, genetic engineers can modify the DNA of the plants we eat to improve diets and food distribution. So GMOs, basically. Yeah, look, obviously that is its own episode, but everything was genetically modified long before we had a word for it.

That's pretty damn fascinating, actually. Yeah, DNA is pretty damn fascinating. Our understanding and ability to manipulate it is a game changer. For instance, genetic engineers can modify the DNA of the plants we eat to improve diets and food distribution. So GMOs, basically. Yeah, look, obviously that is its own episode, but everything was genetically modified long before we had a word for it.

That's what farmers have been doing for thousands of years. Bottom line, as we look ahead at the changes our planet is undergoing, we are going to need this technology to create drought and disease resistant crops.

That's what farmers have been doing for thousands of years. Bottom line, as we look ahead at the changes our planet is undergoing, we are going to need this technology to create drought and disease resistant crops.

That's what farmers have been doing for thousands of years. Bottom line, as we look ahead at the changes our planet is undergoing, we are going to need this technology to create drought and disease resistant crops.

And plus, through DNA, doctors can create truly personalized care for patients based on their individual DNA. Because we're all genetically different. Well... Technically, we're actually pretty darn similar. Humans are 99% genetically the same. But that little 1% does a lot of work to make us unique. But even that could change as we face the realities of gene splicing through CRISPR.

And plus, through DNA, doctors can create truly personalized care for patients based on their individual DNA. Because we're all genetically different. Well... Technically, we're actually pretty darn similar. Humans are 99% genetically the same. But that little 1% does a lot of work to make us unique. But even that could change as we face the realities of gene splicing through CRISPR.

And plus, through DNA, doctors can create truly personalized care for patients based on their individual DNA. Because we're all genetically different. Well... Technically, we're actually pretty darn similar. Humans are 99% genetically the same. But that little 1% does a lot of work to make us unique. But even that could change as we face the realities of gene splicing through CRISPR.

It made the cover of magazines, newspapers, and won the Nobel Prize for the two scientists who discovered it. And I only mention this because we talked about how Rosalind Franklin was initially denied credit for her contribution to our understanding of DNA. These two scientists were both women, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna.

It made the cover of magazines, newspapers, and won the Nobel Prize for the two scientists who discovered it. And I only mention this because we talked about how Rosalind Franklin was initially denied credit for her contribution to our understanding of DNA. These two scientists were both women, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna.

It made the cover of magazines, newspapers, and won the Nobel Prize for the two scientists who discovered it. And I only mention this because we talked about how Rosalind Franklin was initially denied credit for her contribution to our understanding of DNA. These two scientists were both women, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna.

And like so often in science, they made this discovery by accident.

And like so often in science, they made this discovery by accident.

And like so often in science, they made this discovery by accident.

They were studying how bacteria protects themselves from viruses. This also blew my mind. Bacteria can get sick. Really? How ironic is that?

They were studying how bacteria protects themselves from viruses. This also blew my mind. Bacteria can get sick. Really? How ironic is that?

They were studying how bacteria protects themselves from viruses. This also blew my mind. Bacteria can get sick. Really? How ironic is that?

Yeah, it's gene splicing or gene editing. In short, while studying bacteria, these scientists discovered that bacteria have a part of their DNA called CRISPR, which stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. Palindromic? Like a palindrome? Like the word race car? I think so. And just as a total aside, my favorite palindrome is go hang a salami.