Exploring the intersection of transformative technologies, humanity, and the future of our world - and having some fun while we're at it.

Imagine standing on the shores of Prince William Sound, Alaska, where the Exxon Valdez oil spill once unleashed 11 million gallons of crude oil into the ocean. The waves crash gently against the rocky beach, but beneath the surface, a quieter revolution is happening. Microbes — some engineered, some naturally adapted — are cleaning up what humans couldn’t. This is bioremediation in action, where biotechnology meets environmental stewardship.

Alexander Titus

Biotechnology, Genetic Engineering, and the Ethics of Changing Our World

The Double-Edged Helix

Gene drives—a concept that might sound like something from science fiction—could reshape the way we address some of the world's most pressing challenges. Picture a future where we can eradicate devastating diseases, better protect our crops, and control invasive species. This technology holds the power to turn these visions into reality. However, with such transformative potential come significant risks and ethical questions.

Hannah Dayton

From crops to human health, the impact is as wide as the challenges they create

Ep 13 - Gene Drives: Engineering Nature’s Future

Welcome to

 
 The Connected Ideas Project
 

! Or as I’ll more often refer to it,

 TCIP

. This is an expansion of the Co-Evolution newsletter that you’ve been following along with for a while.

 Co-Evolution: Tech, Policy, and Our Lives

will carry on as usual, with new editions coming out every Tuesday.

An Introduction to the world of deep tech, creativity, and personal adventure

Welcome to The Connected Ideas Project

Hey there, science and policy enthusiasts! It's Titus here, and I'm thrilled to bring you this special edition newsletter on a topic that's close to my heart: the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). Remember last week’s issue, when I promised more on the BWC soon?

How an old treaty is getting a high-tech perspective upgrade to keep us safe

Ep 06 - Biodefense 2.0: BWC in the Modern Age

Hey there! I'm excited to dive into a recent white paper from the NSCEB on strengthening gene synthesis security. As someone who's deeply passionate about the intersection of AI and life sciences, this topic is fascinating because it seems simple, yet it is oh so hard. Let's break it down and explore what it means for our field and society at large.

 Before I do, I have to laugh at how challenging it is for the AI podcast hosts to say NSCEB.

How iterative governance could unlock biotechnology's potential while safeguarding our future

Ep 05 - Rewriting the Rules: A Dynamic Approach to Gene Synthesis Security

Key Takeaways: The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield for their pioneering work on artificial neural networks, which laid the foundation for modern deep learning. The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper for using AI to predict and design protein structures, revolutionizing our understanding of these crucial biological molecules.

How the 2024 Physics and Chemistry Prizes Are Reshaping Our Understanding of Intelligence and Life Itself

Ep 04 - Nobel Breakthroughs: AI Meets Biology at the Frontiers of Science

Hey there, science enthusiasts and policy wonks! Titus here, and I've got some exciting developments to share about the intersection of artificial intelligence and life sciences.

The co-evolution of biology and computing started in the era of Alan Turing and is accelerating at a mind-boggling rate with modern AI

Ep 03 - AI and Life Sciences: Navigating the Frontier of Innovation and Security

The podcast audio is AI-generated with Google’s NotebookLM

Hey there, fellow tech enthusiasts, policy wonks, and curious minds! Welcome to "Co-Evolution: Tech, Policy, and our Lives," your new favorite corner of the internet where we'll be diving deep into the fascinating, sometimes messy, but always crucial intersection of emerging technology and public policy. I'm Alexander Titus, but I generally just go by Titus.

Where tech meets policy, policy meets people, and the people you should meet

Ep 01 - Welcome to Co-Evolution: Tech, Policy, and Our Lives

The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) has produced an interim report that focuses on the potential of biotechnology to transform society and improve national security.

This is a fascinating AI-generated summary of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology's Interim Report Using Google's NotebookLM

Ep 00 - Podcast About the NSCEB's Interim Report

The Map Is Not the Territory
 

Artificial intelligence has often been described as a new frontier—a vast, uncharted space promising unparalleled opportunity but fraught with hidden risks. Recently, the inaugural convening of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes (INASI) in San Francisco laid down a global compass for navigating this terrain.

AI safety isn’t just about preventing harm.

Ep 15 - A Global Compass for AI Safety

Hey, my friends! Today, we're venturing into a realm that's as vast and complex as life itself: the world of biological data and its implications for U.S. biotechnology leadership. This is based on the white paper from the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) titled "Leveraging Biological Data." Like last week, the podcast audio is AI-generated, and they keep calling this a report.

Thoughts and a podcast about the NSCEB's thinking on leveraging biological data

Ep 02 - Data, data, data. What's with all the data?

The Future of Cleanup
 

Hi everyone, and welcome to this week’s edition of

 Co-Evolution

! Today, we’re diving into a topic that blends cutting-edge biotechnology with environmental justice: bioremediation. You may not have heard of the term before, but if you’ve ever hoped for a cleaner, greener future, this is where the action is happening.

How Biotechnology is Transforming Environmental Remediation

Ep 12 - Nature’s Microbial Cleanup Crew

Hi my friends, welcome back! I’m excited to introduce a new member of the Co-Evolution team, Hannah Dayton. Hannah is a postdoc at Harvard and an expert in antibiotic resistance research, so I convinced her to share her expertise with the world. The AI-generated podcast this week is about the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.

Exploring the world of antibiotic resistance with Hannah Dayton

Ep 09 - Fighting little bugs who are starting to fight back

The Ancient Roots of Agricultural Innovation

Agriculture is undergoing a revolution, one shaped by the transformative power of biotechnology. This field, at the intersection of science, policy, and industry, promises to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

From ancient practices to gene editing, exploring how biotechnology is transforming agriculture to meet humanity's greatest challenges

Ep 14 - The Agricultural Revolution 2.0: How Biotechnology is Rewriting the Rules of Farming

Hello my friends. Today, I’m sharing a different kind of post. I spend a lot of time considering the implications of the technology we are developing, and I want to share some thoughts on what I consider the FABRIC of our society and the future human experience. This is outside of my traditional post, so I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback.

The convergence of these technologies doesn't simply challenge what humans can do; it challenges what humans can be.

Ep 11 - Weaving the FABRIC of Reality—An Introduction to Technological Convergence and Human Identity

Good morning friends! I'm sitting here with my fourth espresso of the morning, still buzzing about a white paper from the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB). It’s about minerals! So exciting! :-P

 Ok, I am being a little silly, but some of the enthusiasm that comes from my AI podcast hosts friends gets campy and I start to feel it too.

Nature's Answer to Our Critical Materials Crisis

Ep 10 - When Plants Become Miners

Good morning my friends, I've spent the last few weeks deep in the weeds of AI and biotechnology policy (that’s a lie, I’ve spent far more than a few weeks, but humor me), and I've got to tell you - the latest progress never ceases to amaze me no matter how much time I spend thinking about the topic.

Exploring the Line Between Innovation and Safety with Insights from Congress, the National Security Commission, and Why We Need a New Approach to Tech Policy

Ep 08 - AI &amp; Bio: Finding Balance Through Evidence

Hey everyone! I spent the evening yesterday diving deep into the White House's new memorandum on AI and national security (Fact Sheet, Deep Dive), and I've got to tell you – this is one of the most significant policy developments I've seen in our field. Let me break down why I'm so excited about this and what it means for the future of AI, biotechnology, and national security.