Dr Catherine Rhodes was interviewed on the Future of Life Institute Podcast about Governing Biotechology.
"As biotechnology and other emerging technologies become more powerful, the dual-use nature of research — that is, research that can have both beneficial and risky outcomes — is increasingly important to address. How can scientists and policymakers work together to ensure regulations and governance of technological development will enable researchers to do good with their work, while decreasing the threats?
On this month’s podcast, Ariel Conn spoke with Catherine Rhodes about these issues and more. Her work has broadly focused on understanding the intersection and combination of risks stemming from technologies and risks stemming from governance. She has particular expertise in international governance of biotechnology, including biosecurity and broader risk management issues.
Topics discussed in this episode include:
- Gain-of-function research, the H5N1 virus (avian flu), and the risks of publishing dangerous information
- The roles of scientists, policymakers, and the public to ensure that technology is developed safely and ethically
- How scientists can anticipate whether the results of their research could be misused by someone else
- To what extent does risk stem from technology, and to what extent does it stem from how we govern it?
