Happy New Year! Rach and Simon are fisking the science pages once again in search of human enhancement stories. This week they tackle all the most futuristic predictions that came true in 2017. 

The march of Artificial Intelligence, back-flipping cyborg soldiers and Simon has received the coolest Christmas present of all time.

Our theme music was written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics by Theo Weedon, web design by Ian Bridgeman, support from the Wellcome Trust. The producer is Rachel Wheeley.

For more information, go to www.leveluphuman.com. Support the project via www.patreon.com/leveluphuman

LUH Extra 8 - Womb Tanks

Simon Watt and Rachel Wheeley rifle through the science pages in search of stories about the future of humanity. This week we are excited about flying cars, considering what information the apocalypse survivors will need and considering a way to mobilise the body's immune system to fight cancer.

Our theme music was written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics by Theo Weedon, web design by Ian Bridgeman, support from the Wellcome Trust. The producer is Rachel Wheeley.

More information about the series is at www.leveluphuman.com and you can support us at www.patreon.com/leveluphuman

LUH Extra 9 - Flying Cars

Producer Rachel and Simon discuss Elon Musk's Falcon Heavy launch, what it means for the future of space travel and whether putting a Tesla onboard was the greatest PR stunt of all time.

In this episode we chat with David McKeown, a real rocket scientist. He explains how the two side booster rockets landed, and what the launch means for the Irish space programme.

Our theme music was written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics by Theo Weedon, web design by Ian Bridgeman, support from the Wellcome Trust. The producer is Rachel Wheeley.

More information about the series is at www.leveluphuman.com and you can support us at www.patreon.com/leveluphuman

LUH Extra 10 - Giant Rockets

Simon and Rachel are bickering again, this time about 3D printing. Is it old news, or are recent developments in generative design enough to make it fascinating? Simon thinks it's a toy, no more likely to catch on than Betamax, Rach thinks it's the future of everything. Who is right? We will have to wait and see.

Our theme music was written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics by Theo Weedon, web design by Ian Bridgeman, support from the Wellcome Trust. The producer is Rachel Wheeley.

More information about the series is at www.leveluphuman.com and you can support us at www.patreon.com/leveluphuman

LUH Extra 11 - 3D Printing and Generative Design

Simon and Rach take a deep dive into gene drives this week, examining the work being done to make island conservation less lethal to the inhabitants it is supposed to be protecting.

We consider how CRISPR technology might be able to help with this, how it works and what the unintended consequences of using it might be.

Our theme music was written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics by Theo Weedon, web design by Ian Bridgeman, support from the Wellcome Trust. The producer is Rachel Wheeley.

More information about the series is at www.leveluphuman.com and you can support us at www.patreon.com/leveluphuman

LUH Extra 12 - Gene Drives

Rach and Simon dive into lab grown meat. Would you eat it, what are the pros and cons and as always, is this the beginning of the end of civilisation?

Our theme music was written and performed by Laurence Owen. Graphics by Theo Weedon, web design by Ian Bridgeman, support from the Wellcome Trust. The producer is Rachel Wheeley.

More information about the series is at www.leveluphuman.com and you can support us at www.patreon.com/leveluphuman

LUH Extra 13 - Lab Grown Meat

Academics and comedians redesign the human body with science, tech and ideas from nature.

Combining gene splicing and trans-humanism, medical advancement, surgical enhancement, whimsy and wonder, Level Up Human takes a long hard look at the human race and tries to figure out how to make it better.

A podcast by Simon Watt and Rachel Wheeley.