The Resurrection of SpeciesMaster ClassIn-Person
Thursday, Apr 08, 2027
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
TBA
As we enter a "second space age," the rapid expansion of private and multi-national spaceflight is converging with the cutting edge of molecular biology and bioengineering. For those teaching the next generation of scientists, Christopher Mason’s vision represents a profound shift: space is no longer just about physics, but about a moral duty to act as shepherds of life-forms against Earth’s inevitable expiration date. While our frail bodies are currently unfit for the cosmos, Mason proposes a provocative 500-year roadmap to reengineer human genetics and microbial systems for survival on other worlds. This ambitious program is as much about looking backward as it is about looking forward; by studying the extinction of past species and the limits of ancient genomes, we gain the blueprints necessary to avoid a similar fate. By integrating tools like space-deployed DNA sequencers with emerging methods for cross-species genome engineering, we can apply the same ingenuity that built rockets to the task of redesigning biology itself. This fusion of biotechnology, evolutionary history, and philosophy offers teachers and their students an unparalleled vision of the future, ensuring that life doesn't just endure, but sustainably inhabits the stars.
BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY, PHILOSOPHY
3 credits
CTLE credit available
Chris Mason
Dr. Christopher Mason is the WorldQuant Professor of Genomics and Computational Biomedicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, where he directs the Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, and co-directs the Trivedi Institute of Space and Global Biomedicine in Pittsburgh. He is co-founder of Biotia, founder of the MetaSUB Consortium and BioAstra, and author of The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds, The Age of Prediction, and Speciespoiesis. His research spans bioengineering, computational biology, genomics, spatial biology, clinical genetics, and space medicine, with a focus on understanding and re-engineering genetic systems to advance human health and long-term space exploration. Mason has received numerous honors, including awards from NASA, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and was named one of Popular Science’s “Brilliant Ten” scientists. He has authored more than 400 peer-reviewed publications, developed FDA-authorized diagnostic tests, co-founded multiple biotechnology companies and nonprofits, and his work has been featured in leading scientific journals and major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and TIME.