Babbage: Viruses, lords of creation

These tiny, ancient predators do more than cause pandemics. Host Kenneth Cukier and science editor Geoff Carr investigate how viruses have shaped the world. Evolutionary biologist David Enard explains how viruses have driven human development. And Jennifer Doudna, who pioneered CRISPR gene editing, and Steffanie Strathdee, an innovator in phage therapy, show how cells’ antiviral defences as well as  viruses themselves can be harnessed to protect the future of humanity. Please subscribe to The Economist for full access to print, digital and audio editions:www.economist.com/podcastoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Om Podcasten

Babbage is our weekly podcast on science and technology, named after Charles Babbage—a 19th-century polymath and grandfather of computing. Host Alok Jha talks to our correspondents about the innovations, discoveries and gadgetry shaping the world. Published every Wednesday.If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page here https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts