The Next (And Final) Pandemic? with Annie Jacobsen
Summary
Hasan Minhaj interviews author Annie Jacobson about her book *Biological War: A Scenario*, exploring the existential threat of bioweapons and lab leaks. They discuss the history of US and Soviet biological warfare programs, the dangers of gain-of-function research, and the low barrier to entry for creating pathogens using AI. The episode highlights the vulnerability of global public health infrastructure and the potential for engineered diseases to cause rapid societal collapse.
Topics discussed
Intro: Current events and public health infrastructure concerns
History of US biological weapons programs and field trials
Soviet bioweapons, the Biological Weapons Treaty, and lab safety
Gain of function research and its controversial risks
Lab accidents, explosions, and the threat of bioweapons
Interview with Annie Jacobson on her new book 'Biological War'
Differences between nuclear and biological warfare scenarios
Lab safety levels (BSL-3/4) and pathogen definitions
Lab leaks, cover-ups, and theft of biological agents
Virulence, transmissibility, and medical countermeasures
Chimera pathogens and genetic engineering accessibility
AI in bioweapons and global biological weapons programs
Expert opinions on gain of function and pneumonic plague symptoms
Euphoria genes and the Strategic National Stockpile location
AI data leaks, volunteer responders, and the Insurrection Act
The Devolution Plan and government continuity protocols
Apocalypse ASMR: A grim scenario of plague outbreak
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