Search

Home > Tech and Science Daily | Evening Standard > Brave New World Preview
Podcast: Tech and Science Daily | Evening Standard
Episode:

Brave New World Preview

Category: Technology
Duration: 00:14:04
Publish Date: 2026-01-23 06:00:00
Description:

For episode five of Brave New World, Evgeny is joined by Ben Lamm, CEO and co-founder of Colossal Biosciences - the company working on de-extinction and species preservation, including its flagship woolly mammoth project. Together, they explore what “bringing back” an extinct species actually means in practice: rebuilding fragmented ancient DNA, comparing it to a close living relative (the Asian elephant), and using gene editing to reintroduce key traits like cold tolerance - before creating embryos that could one day be carried by a surrogate or, eventually, an artificial womb.

Ben also explains why the mammoth has become Colossal’s defining project - from public fascination and unusually strong samples preserved in permafrost, to the potential conservation upside. The conversation dives into how the same tools can support living species too: developing new reproductive technologies, using AI and drones to understand elephant behaviour, and tackling threats like EEHV, a disease that kills young elephants. Along the way, they discuss Colossal’s viral moments - including the woolly mouse and the dire wolf - as well as the ethical lines the company says it won’t cross.

This episode was produced by Message Heard and The Standard.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Total Play: 0