TechNation Radio hosted by Dr Moira Gunn
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with Walter Isaacson about “The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna (“DOWDna”), Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race.” Then Tech Nation Health Chief Correspondent Dr. Daniel Kraft takes us through the slate of winners of the $6 Million Rapid COVID Screening Xprize.
On this week’s Tech Nation, learning to draw on the radio! Dan Roam, the founder of The Napkin Academy, invites us to make simple drawings showing what the COVID-19 pandemic looks like to each of us. They’ll also talk about his writer’s workshop and how he’s writing his upcoming book– “The Pop-Up Pitch” – he’s inviting all nonfiction writers to write their books along with him.
On this week’s Tech Nation, Ohio State University professor Angus Fletcher connects neuroscience and literature, and why stories can be so compelling – from Greek tragedy to modern times. His book is “Wonderworks … the 25 Most Powerful Inventions in the History of Literature”. Then a ten-minute primer with David Peterson, best known for creating alien languages for HBO’s Game of Thrones, Netflix's The Witcher, and Marvel's Doctor Strange
On this week’s Tech Nation, Dr. Jonathan Javitt from NeuroRX Pharma talks about a scientific discovery which lingered for nearly two decades in some 70 boxes in deep storage – it’s now being tested as a treatment for COVID-19. Then Rick Carreon, the CEO of ImpediMed, tells us about a technology developed in the 1990’s for research purposes. Today it’s approved for the early detection of lymphedema following breast cancer – and early intervention can stop its progression.
On this week’s Tech Nation, Wharton Marketing Professor, Jonah Berger, follow his earlier books, “Contagious” and “Invisible Influence”. His latest is “The Catalyst – How To Change Anyone’s Mind”. Then on BioTech Nation, using viruses to our benefit. That’s the idea from Aspa Therapeutics. Dr. Eric David described Aspa’s approach to deliver essential treatment for the rare genetic condition of Canavan’s Disease.
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with Dr. Greg Frost, the CEO of Exuma Biotech. He explains how gene therapy for cancer is currently a 6 to 8 week proposition, and requires the patient to undergo chemotherapy. Exuma’s aim is to reduce the time to 4 hours and eliminate the chemotherapy … Then Dr. Chris Smith with Brandon Capital Partners and a board member of Ena Respiratory talks about updates us on Ena-51 – a spray to reduce the presence of COVID in the nasal passageway.
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with Dr. Greg Frost, the CEO of Exuma Biotech. He explains how gene therapy for cancer is currently a 6 to 8 week proposition, and requires the patient to undergo chemotherapy. Exuma’s aim is to reduce the time to 4 hours and eliminate the chemotherapy … Then Dr. Chris Smith with Brandon Capital Partners and a board member of Ena Respiratory talks about updates us on Ena-51 – a spray to reduce the presence of COVID in the nasal passageway.
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin about his book “Successful Aging … A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives”. And Dr. Cameron Turtle from Eidos Therapeutics tells us that of the 6 Million Americans living with the medical condition known as Heart Failure, several hundred thousand have a special type, which was thought to be rare, but is being underdiagnosed. It’s known by its initials: ATTR. Eidos is working on a treatment
Sarah Frier, technology journalist with Bloomberg News, and author of the Financial Times’ Book of the Year, “No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram”. And Victor Hwang, a former Silicon Valley venture capitalist and founder of Right to Start. He’s also the author of “The Rainforest – The Secret to Building the Next Silicon Valley.”
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with David Quammen is the author of “Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic”, his 2012 book which sounds oh-so familiar today. There are gorillas, chimpanzees and monkeys, birds and rats and, yes, bats. Then a San Diego company working on a simple blood test for early stage Lung Cancer. With 2/3’s of patients initially diagnosed at stage 4, Chris Hibberd, the CEO of Nucleix, tells us how they did it, their focus on for bladder cancer and...
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with Sandy Fershee, the Lab Director for D-Ford Detroit at Ford Motor Company. They talk about the latest features for the best-selling vehicle on the road - the F-150 pick-up truck from Ford. They talk about the latest design updates, and how Ford went about it. Then Brian Culley, the CEO of Lineage Cell Therapeutics in San Diego, explains cell therapy in plain words. They’re working on dry age-related macular degeneration and spinal cord injury, and the...
Neuroscientist and psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett. She gives us “7½ Lessons about the Brain” and has some surprises – there is no “reptilian” part of your brain … it’s just a myth. Then in biotech – treatments to fight diseases caused by inflammation – Dr. Jim Woody, the CEO of 180 Life Sciences talks about their pipeline of drugs, as well as their lead work in clinical trials now – it’s for Dupuytren’s Contracture, affecting one out of 25 people in Europe and North America.
Computer Scientist Dr. Lorien Pratt about “Link … How Decision Intelligence Connects Data, Actions, and Outcomes for a Better World.” Then Dr. Seth Lederman, the CEO of Tonix Pharmaceuticals, tells us about how PTSD affects the brain, its relation to sleep, and how it may treated some 9 years after the initial trauma. If you have experienced trauma, and PTSD, you may qualify for one of their clinical studies.
On this week’s Tech Nation, are you working from home? Or really committing yourself to that novel you always wanted to write or your memoirs? In a follow-up to his earlier books – “The Distraction Addiction” and “Rest” - Alex Pang joins Moira to talk about “Shorter: Work Better, Smarter, and Less – Here’s How”.
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Matt Richtel turns tech noir thriller fiction writer with the pseudonym A B Jewell, in “The Man Who Wouldn’t Die” - from Silicon Valley values to venture capital lingo to the habits of the newly tech rich in San Francisco. Then Tech Nation Health Chief Correspondent Dr. Daniel Kraft talks about the health benefits of Ambient Technology – the technology all around that you think is doing one thing, but could do anothe...
On this week’s Tech Nation, how the tech giants are different from the global corporations of yesterday. BuzzFeed journalist Alex Kantrowitz (Kan-trow-witz) talks about “Always Day One … How the Tech Titans Plan to Stay on Top Forever.” And Tech Nation Health Chief Correspondent Dr. Daniel Kraft talks about his current work with the World Health Organization, heading up a team to develop a global app in these times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with Wired magazine’s Editor-at-Large, Steven Levy. You may know him from Hackers or Crypto. He’s here today with Facebook - The Inside Story. Then on BioTech Nation, Sandy McCrae, the CEO of Sangamo Therapeutics talks about Zinc Fingers. Sangamo is working on numerous projects to introduce DNA into patient’s bodies where the DNA may be missing or simply doesn’t work as needed. The challenge? It would permanently change to your DNA. Are you ready for it?
On this week’s Tech Nation, Dr. Paul Auerbach, Professor Emeritus at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, a co-founder of the Wilderness Medical Society, and author of “Enviromedics: The Impact of Climate Change on Human Health”. Then Tech Nation Health Chief Correspondent, Dr. Daniel Kraft, talks about longevity, zip code by zip code.
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with GLEN deVRIES, the co-founder and co-CEO of Medidata, a company which has provided data management services for clinical trials for some twenty years. He’s talks about “The Patient Equation … the precision medicine revolution in the age of COVID-19 and Beyond”. Then can we diagnose Autism earlier? The average age of diagnosis is 4 years old, but a blood test may reveal autism spectrum disorder as early as 18 months. Moira speaks with BETH DONLEY, the ...
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with noted speculative fiction writer, William Gibson. His first book, Neuromancer, the 1984 novel, which won numerous awards, coined the term cyberspace, and cemented the genre of cyberpunk. His latest book is “Agency”, the second book in The Peripheral Trilogy.
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with anthropologist EBEN KIRKSEY, a professor of anthropology at Deakin University in Melbourne. He’s look at the societal and ethical implications of CRISPR – and not just hypothetically. He traveled to China, with an eye to understanding the circumstance of the three CRISPR babies known to exist. His book is “The Mutant Project: Inside the Global Race to Genetically Modify Humans”. Then Tech Nation Health Chief Correspondent Dr. Daniel Kraft gives us a ...
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with DR. PETER DIAMANDIS, the executive chair of the Xprize Foundation and co-founder of COVAXX. Tech Nation Health Chief Correspondent DR. DANIEL KRAFT joins Moira to interview Peter about the COVID-related Xprizes and COVAXX’s COVID vaccine. Then DR. PETER BEETHAM, the CEO of Cibus, tells us that natural mutations in plants happen one tiny nucleotide at a time. Cibus’s technology can create these tiny mutations, and even enhance seeds.
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with DR. JULIET SCHOR, an economist and professor of sociology at Boston College. They talk about all those workers hired by the new services, from Uber and Lyft to Doordash, Instacart, and more. Her book is “After the Gig … How the Shared Economy Got Hijacked, and How to Win It Back”. Then Tech Nation Health Chief Correspondent DR. DANIEL KRAFT talks about CGM’s - Continuous glucose monitors – they create a picture of your “foodprint”.
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with DR. JUSTIN REICH, Director of the Teaching Systems Lab at MIT and host of the podcast, TeachLab. His book is “Failure to Disrupt … Why Technology Alone Can’t Transform Education”. Then Tech Nation Health Chief Correspondent DR DANIEL KRAFT tells us that we are having an “Infodemic”.
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with Dr. Levi Garraway, the Chief Medical Officer of Genentech about FDA approvals for treatments in two very rare diseases - SMA - Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and NMOSD - Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder. Then Dr. Thomas Rando, Co-Founder of Fountain Therapeutics, a Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and Director of Glen Laboratories on the Biology of Aging talks about a rampant medical condition – aging.
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with Jim McKelvey, Co-Founder and CEO of Square – that little gadget that plugs into a smartphone and any vendor can take your credit card. He’s written “The Innovation Stack … Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time”. Then on BioTech Nation, Chris Nave, the Managing Director of Brandon Capital in Melbourne, Australia. He’s tell us what’s up with Australia with respect to global biotech.
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with a company that paused its work on Hepatitis B to focus on treatments for COVID. Dr. Lawrence Blatt, the CEO of Aligos Therapeutics joins Moira to talk about their idea for treating COVID. Then, Tech Nation Health Chief Correspondent, Dr. Daniel Kraft tells us that all COVID vaccines are not the same, and a potential different approach for *all* cancer treatments, including a tough one – Ovarian Cancer. Moira speaks with Bill Newell, the CEO of Sutro ...
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with the late David Graeber, a professor of anthropology at the London School of Economics and an early architect of the Occupy Wall Street movement. With his recent, unexpected passing, this archive Tech Nation interview was recorded shortly before Occupy Wall Street coalesced. Moira speaks with him about his book “Debt, the first 5,000 years”. She’ll also speak with Wes Gilson, the head of Artificial Intelligence at Siemens Healthineers, about the inter...
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with Dr. Patrick Yang, Chair and Co-Founder, Acepodia. They’ve just treated their first human. Their treatment? For HER-2 positive cancer - it can be anywhere in the body. Then writer, poet, writing critic, and writing coach - Joan Gelfand. Her 2018 book, “You Can Be a Winning Writer”, can help you write that book you’ve been meaning to, or relax with her latest novel, “Extreme”.
On this week’s Tech Nation, Moira speaks with Tech Nation’s former biotech correspondent David Ewing Duncan about his new book - “Talking to Robots: Tales from Our Human Robot Future.” Then Dr. Daniel Kraft tells us how robotics are replacing surgeons, and McAfee’s Gary Davis, expands on those massive thefts of online credentials – they are for sale and they are out there … on the Dark Web – yes, he explains that, too.
