Science From The Fringe Podcast

About Science From The Fringe Podcast

Conversations with fearless scientists, policy experts, and journalists who are defying dogma and defending discovery. sciencefromthefringe.substack.com (https://sciencefromthefringe.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Science From the Fringe

Category

news · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 Sept 2024

Latest episode

27 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

59 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   27 Sept 2026

   Anthropic Park: Biology in the Age of AI (In Defense of Virology - Episode 13)

   In the thirteenth episode of In Defense of Virology (https://sciencefromthefringe.substack.com/t/in-defense-of-virology), Bryce Nickels (https://substack.com/@brycenickels) and Simon Wain-Hobson (https://substack.com/@simonwainhobson) discuss whether AI is creating new biological threats or simply amplifying existing ones. The discussion centers on Anthropic’s September 10 threat assessment report (https://www.anthropic.com/threat-intelligence-report-september-2026), which describes five cases of scientists using Claude in ways Anthropic believes could support biological weapons development. The concern was not just the research itself, but also efforts by some users to evade restrictions, bypass safeguards, or obscure aspects of their work. The report is the subject of Simon’s recent essay Anthropic Park (https://biosafetynow.substack.com/p/anthropic-park), which inspired the episode’s title. Bryce and Simon discuss the possible motives of the scientists described in Anthropic’s report and place those cases in the context of earlier gain-of-function research, including the reconstruction of the 1918 influenza virus and the Fouchier-Kawaoka H5N1 experiments. Simon also raises a broader question about the responsibility of scientific journals when potentially dangerous research is already online and available for use by LLMs. What is the real biological threat from AI? Bryce argues that the main risk is not autonomous AI creating new pathogens, but AI amplifying existing threats by making dangerous research easier and more efficient. Thus, the risk is amplification, not autonomy. (recorded September 20, 2026) Get full access to Science From the Fringe at sciencefromthefringe.substack.com/subscribe (https://sciencefromthefringe.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   16 Sept 2026

   Scientific Responsibility in Research on Dangerous Pathogens — Part 2: COVID-19 and What Came Next

   On September 11, 2026, I hosted the inaugural event of The Purpose of Science Lecture Series (https://sciencefromthefringe.substack.com/p/announcing-the-purpose-of-science) at Rutgers University: Scientific Responsibility in Research on Dangerous Pathogens (https://waksman.rutgers.edu/event/scientific-responsibility-research-dangerous-pathogens). The event featured Simon Wain-Hobson, Professor Emeritus at the Institut Pasteur; Richard H. Ebright, Board of Governors Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Rutgers University; and Neil L. Harrison, Professor of Anesthesiology and Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Columbia University. I’m releasing the three-hour discussion in two parts. Part 1 traced the history from Asilomar and early debates over scientific responsibility through the post-9/11 expansion of U.S. biodefense research, the reconstruction of the 1918 influenza virus, the H5N1 gain-of-function experiments, the 2014 federal pause, and the 2015 SARS coronavirus chimera experiment. Part 2 picks up with the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. Neil Harrison examines the epidemiological evidence surrounding the origin of COVID-19, including the Huanan Seafood Market, geographic clustering of early cases, comparisons with New York City, and the later outbreak associated with Beijing’s Xinfadi Market. The discussion then turns to the institutional response to the COVID origins question. Richard Ebright discusses the February 1, 2020 teleconference involving Anthony Fauci, Francis Collins, Jeremy Farrar, and scientists who later authored “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2,” along with subsequent communications and the role of research funding. We then discuss the SARS-CoV-2 furin cleavage site, the 2018 DEFUSE proposal, current U.S. policy on dangerous gain-of-function research, and the emerging risks posed by AI-enabled biology. The discussion closes with the precautionary principle, audience questions, and calls to action for how high-risk biological research should be governed going forward. About the Lecture Series The Purpose of Science Lecture Series (https://sciencefromthefringe.substack.com/p/announcing-the-purpose-of-science) brings prominent scientists, physicians, journalists, policymakers, and other public voices to Rutgers to examine the purpose and responsibilities of science—where scientific practice falls short of that purpose, why those failures occur, and what practical solutions might address them. Learn more: https://waksman.rutgers.edu/seminars/purpose (https://waksman.rutgers.edu/seminars/purpose) Support the series through the Rutgers University Foundation: https://give.rutgersfoundation.org/waksman/4025.html (https://give.rutgersfoundation.org/waksman/4025.html) Get full access to Science From the Fringe at sciencefromthefringe.substack.com/subscribe (https://sciencefromthefringe.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   16 Sept 2026

   Scientific Responsibility in Research on Dangerous Pathogens — Part 1: How We Got Here

   On September 11, 2026, I hosted the inaugural event of The Purpose of Science Lecture Series (https://sciencefromthefringe.substack.com/p/announcing-the-purpose-of-science) at Rutgers University: Scientific Responsibility in Research on Dangerous Pathogens (https://waksman.rutgers.edu/event/scientific-responsibility-research-dangerous-pathogens). The event brought together Simon Wain-Hobson, Professor Emeritus at the Institut Pasteur; Richard H. Ebright, Board of Governors Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Rutgers University; and Neil L. Harrison, Professor of Anesthesiology and Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Columbia University, for a historical examination of how scientists and scientific institutions have confronted the risks created by advances in biological research. I’m releasing the three-hour discussion in two parts. Part 1 begins with Simon Wain-Hobson’s call for scientists to adopt a Hippocratic-style commitment to “do no harm.” From there, the discussion moves through the 1975 Asilomar conference, Jonathan Beckwith’s early warnings about the social implications of molecular biology, the Biological Weapons Convention, the 1979 Sverdlovsk anthrax incident, and Simon’s experience organizing an open scientific meeting on competing hypotheses about the origins of HIV. The timeline then turns to 9/11 and the Amerithrax attacks, the rapid expansion of U.S. biodefense research, Richard Ebright’s early opposition to that expansion, the open letter signed by 758 scientists, and Anthony Fauci’s response. We then discuss the reconstruction of the 1918 pandemic influenza virus, the H5N1 gain-of-function experiments that ignited a major controversy over high-risk pathogen research, the 2014 federal gain-of-function pause, and the 2015 SARS coronavirus chimera experiment. Part 2 continues the timeline with the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the Huanan Seafood Market, the institutional response to the COVID origins debate, the furin cleavage site and DEFUSE proposal, current U.S. policy on dangerous research, and the emerging risks posed by AI-enabled biology. About the Lecture Series The Purpose of Science Lecture Series (https://sciencefromthefringe.substack.com/p/announcing-the-purpose-of-science) brings prominent scientists, physicians, journalists, policymakers, and other public voices to Rutgers to examine the purpose and responsibilities of science—where scientific practice falls short of that purpose, why those failures occur, and what practical solutions might address them. Learn more:https://waksman.rutgers.edu/seminars/purpose (https://waksman.rutgers.edu/seminars/purpose) Support the series through the Rutgers University Foundation:https://give.rutgersfoundation.org/waksman/4025.html (https://give.rutgersfoundation.org/waksman/4025.html) Get full access to Science From the Fringe at sciencefromthefringe.substack.com/subscribe (https://sciencefromthefringe.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Who has been a guest on Science From The Fringe Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Simon Wain-Hobson
• Dana Parish
• Jenner Furst
• Dr Meryl Nass
• David Zweig

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.2 / 5

10 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Contact Science From The Fringe Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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