What happens when we can program living cells like we program computers? Could we cure cancer, end the next pandemic before it begins, or even clone ourselves? With technology being the current limiting factor, we’ll explore where the field is headed, and if these lofty goals could instead result in our extinction.

Key Takeaways:
- The Convergence of Biology and Computation: Andrew Hessel emphasized how the current merging of these two fields impacts lives and creates a technological revolution.
- A Time of Unprecedented Technological Advancement: Andrew highlighted breakthroughs in various areas, including fundamental physics (CERN), global computing networks, AI approaching Artificial General Intelligence, robotics, and our understanding and manipulation of life itself.
- Biology is an Overlooked Technology: Andrew used the apple seed example to illustrate the incredible sophistication of biological self-assembly, a process far more advanced than human manufacturing. It’s a readily available technology often taken for granted.
- Biological Self-Assembly: Andrew says that the natural process of an apple tree growing from a seed surpasses human manufacturing capabilities in its complexity and efficiency.