S5 E17: Gene Editing & Justice Kennedy: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

[@abthedragon4921]

"Roe v. Wade is doomed" Well, he wasn't wrong.

[@gotchewz]

Yeah, he was on point

[@austinemms9772]

“Jeff, I heard you say earlier that within 18 months, Abortion could be illegal in as many as 20 states.” “No, I said Abortion will be illegal in as many as 20 states.” It may have taken more time, that statement is both depressing.

[@jaymfom6963]

Jeff may have touched himself on a live zoom call but boy did he get Roe spot on!

[@stoodmuffinpersonal3144]

Two things can be true, lol

[@jaymfom6963]

@@stoodmuffinpersonal3144 😂

[@margaretdowns9350]

Yeah I just watched the most recent episode, in which Jeffrey Toobin came up as having had a bad 2020 🤣

[@rjpittman4510]

"Hey John, we can't fit all of the information we want in the piece. We need to cut something." "Ok, fine. But we are keeping the 60 second bit about a mouse fucking a tick so make the cuts elsewhere"

[@zumabbar]

and 6 years later.... oh, werpt!

[@hashbrown4781]

Lit fam 🔥 🔥 🔥

[@TheeSinnerman]

Hella based! Taking rights away from People! Let's go😒😒😒

[@SupremeFenix274]

Yeah, without the inherent magic, a unicorn is just an even dumber looking horse.

[@NickFrustration]

i would like to thank john oliver for pre-emptively ruining "werpt"

[@analyticalbaguette]

That Wolf Blitzer joke gets me every time

[@JaneKaplun-js4lp]

John is right it was a missed opportunity to name that movie Wolf Blitzer. The movie could’ve had scene with Wolf reporting on the giant animals attacking.

[@wingedbluj1674]

My favorite bit is "God is an Australian Cane Toad"

[@benplocica3790]

​@@JaneKaplun-js4lpas a gamer, I hate to inform you that rampage isn't even based on genetic editing. It was a ps1 game about destroying cities as kaijus before the government can take them down. The movie was a disappointment and while I agree that project wolf Blitzer would have been awesome but we have to contend with the fact that it was a cash grab with Rock the "Dwayne" Johnson.

[@matthewcunningham3648]

​@@benplocica3790are you joking or did you not know that it started out as an arcade game and then had multiple ports including the original NES?

[@benplocica3790]

@@matthewcunningham3648 I legitimately did not know that, my apologies. I'm honestly not surprised by it's age as the gameplay is very arcade-like in its game play loop. What surprised me is that I wasn't aware it was an original NES port game as some of my favorite games were released on that system! I've been expanding my knowledge about video game history these recent months weirdly enough and it feels great to expand that knowledge further.

[@ikazukison2]

it's good thing Roe v Wade is secure and thriving

[@martinjrgensen8234]

It is almost like tying the appointment of such powerful positions to political parties, is a terrible idea

[@dreydantrovirr8136]

Agreed, and lifetime appointments are just as crazy.

[@piratemeow]

Jeff was very on the nose about everything.

[@glohora]

I am loving each single episode: pure genius!

[@ErutaniaRose]

As an autistic person working to become a marine biologist, the eugenics possibilities of gene editing is very concerning. Clearly gene editing for diseases and willing patients to help human health overall is fantastic, we just have to walk that fine line and not use it to try and erase all disabled people.

[@technoschnauzer4327]

Yeah my thing with genetic editing is like. Let’s just not do that on humans unless they’re able to consent to it! Maybe instead of changing people’s genetics we just focus on make=ing the world more accessible and finding post birth treatments/cures. We don’t need to genetically remove blindness, we need to find ways to help blind people who are already alive. Especially since people who are born blind tend to be very fine with being blind and the genetic edditing doesn’t help the people who are more likely to not want to be blind, people who weren’t born blind and were blinded by some sort of accident as an adult

[@PremierCCGuyMMXVI]

To all the progressives who think Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and now Kamala Harris were and are too moderate, do you care about democracy and civil rights? Then vote for Harris and Democrats.

[@_somerandomguyontheinternet_]

I mean, I personally believe she is more moderate than I would like. I’m also going to vote for her because that’s how our system works and refusing to vote for the lesser evil is half a vote for the greater.

[@JakeBlake-m3d]

Nahhhh that's absurd. Objectively wrong. Those people are NOT for democracy. They do assassination and election crimes, false flags, fake news,and censorship. No one is threatening freedom more than democrats at this time. You are confused.

[@andalilbitqueer]

Im not voting for her, because I'm not american.

[@_somerandomguyontheinternet_]

@@andalilbitqueer what are you talking about? Just sneak past the border and vote; it’s that easy. Supposedly a bunch of other people are doing it! /s 🙃

[@ErutaniaRose]

Even Angela Davis said to vote for Kamala for short term survival.

[@musicauthority674]

I'm going to use the word werpt from now on. thank you John Oliver. I can't find a big enough cardboard box damnit.

[@shafffffff]

Doudna and her collaborator Charpentier were awarded the 2020 nobel prize, their work was amazing

[@Rad9000]

Jeff nailed it.

[@stephaniehendricks3537]

Another zazu reference in season 5 😂

[@ianbick7851]

God I love curling

[@CamelxRavenNova2]

I agree with Josiah Zayner’s view on how we should use gene editing but that will only be achievable when we have enough knowledge on what’s safe and what’s not

[@kevinfoster1138]

I know this episode is from a while back now, but I was shocked to see the news didn't block out the garbage chemist address!!!!

[@asamlos]

"The idea that we're all sick, that we're suffering, that I suffer from dwarfism - No, I live with dwarfism." is a quote I think about a lot.

[@omgandwtf1]

It's a good quote but I really hate when people apply it to mental illness. Particularly autism. I have autism and I live with it only because I have no choice and I do suffer from it. Also I imagine having dwarfism isn't actually pleasant either, everything is designed for people 5-6 feet tall so life's probably pretty inconvenient. I think most people who have an illness or aberration that makes them "different " if given the opportunity would have it cured. Although I could see some older people not wanting to because they've lived so long with their condition that trying to adapt to life without it wouldn't be worth it for the 20-30 years they have left. I'm nearly 30 and I definitely would jump at getting cured. I don't even want to have children for fear of passing on my autism as well as some physical medical issues. I wouldn't want my children to go through the hell I did growing up with autism and I was rather lucky to have a supportive family and good programs for my school, but still the amount of time I spent in bouts of overwhelming emotion, mostly stress and sadness, often over relatively trivial issues, that had me screaming and crying for hours feeling like the world was over and I should just die, when it was just something like I didn't like the English assignment and some kid made a joke that bothered me. So ya sorry for going on a tangent that's not totally related to your post

[@asamlos]

@@omgandwtf1 I'm severely autistic and that's why I like the quote...

[@omgandwtf1]

@@asamlos hmm I suppose we just have different perspectives then. I'd give anything to be normal. I used to think being unique was important but eventually as I hit my mid 20s my volatile emotions settled a bit and I drifted towards apathy and nihilism. So I get your perspective since I used to wholeheartedly agree with it. Now I'm just tired and wish for it to end in one way or another.

[@_somerandomguyontheinternet_]

@@asamlossame. We are not is causing us problems. Our autism is not what’s causing us problems. How society treats people with autism is what’s causing us problems.

[@adumbooctopus1115]

Yeah I think I'd suffer a lot less with my autism and adhd if people were just kinder about it. Meltdowns and overstimulation are horrible things, but they can be managed a lot better with help and support. Unfortunately society as a whole views that assistance as inconvenience for them. I don't suffer from autism, the treatment my autism gets from others makes me suffer. I wouldn't suffer if people actually cared to accommodate us.

[@WhimsicalWisp44]

so much stuff came true and its super sad

[@ErutaniaRose]

24:47 This. And I’d argue anyone who wants to be changed needs to go through therapy with acceptance surrounding them and focus on dissolving internalized ableism before making that choice. Seeing if they hate themselves and their condition or if it’s a hatred of how they are treated.

[@halleypowell990]

The part about the mice experiment on Nantucket trying to reduce Lyme disease is really ironic to me considering a family friend who lives on Nantucket recently contracted Lyme disease

[@ruckusrevolution9475]

More polite curler interactions plz 🙏

[@andrewhadfield5619]

Playing Frogger from the cars viewpoint

[@ikazukison2]

why does that Tick go to Rutgers, that's fucked up, I feel called out

[@PTSurvival]

5:39 how right he was…

[@samanthahamilton9117]

That Time Machine sequence has aged depressingly well. Sigh.

[@rjpittman4510]

Well, the bit about Kennedy's retirement is nearly spot on except it didn't take into consideration RBG and took a little longer

[@CamelxRavenNova2]

Designer babies are awesome let’s gooooo People fear change and progress.

[@ProgressOnly]

Well that first segment was on the nose

[@matthewcunningham3648]

I can't believe you didn't know Rampage was originally a video game. C'mon John lol

[@ErutaniaRose]

Fun fact, cane toads leather is popular-ish.

[@artrogers3985]

I miss “Clippy” 🎸

[@SerpentiCaptain]

There are a lot of rich people in Fargo with 20-30' yachts in lakes country (MN) 45-ish minutes away. So many, they claim residence in Pelican Rapids (near where their Pelican Lake mansions are) and kill property tax increases for school funding. Could also be referring to the nigh-fetishization of fishing boats in the area.

[@Sorapak]

fun fact: The distant hypothetical of germline gene editing baby happened for the first time in human history.. few months after the airing of this episode. And yes it was in China. (Although the scientist was sentenced to 3 years in prison for this)

[@MisHarmony]

I’m from Maine. Susan Collins 🤦‍♀️ I miss Olympia Snowe 😢

[@anthonyfanchin1144]

I’ve watched a documentary about eugenics. It’s very disturbing.

[@fwfulton]

Yes, Yes, Yes - No More Vertical Videos. No More Vertical Videos.

[@rickflash448]

Jeffrey Toobin spoke the truth to a pretty spooky degree lol

[@gamerultralv9290]

holy shit bro knew the future!!!

[@Fyrebaugh]

Every day people using CRISPER?!?! "The Island of Dr. Moreau" anybody?

[@DANNYonPC]

Took only a little bit longer

[@TheeSinnerman]

5:21 Bro... Wtf

[@liliflower1376]

Oh good so I didn't hallucinate vertical videos being extremely hated back then, i was starting to think i was crazy

[@piratecontent]

Wow, that guy on CNN was almost a prophet, everything the said, sadly, came true!!!

[@kaothegreat4345]

Welp. That aged well.

[@justinbelshe]

When did this actually air?

[@kayapope6064]

2018

[@felixwallace5041]

Woof the trump presidency really soiled John's hair!

[@KanLuxiang]

That Chinese scientist wasn't laughing bc he thinks that there are no ethics involved in gene editing. He laughed bc the reporter's question was framed as "playing God", which is a ridiculous concept to most Chinese people.

[@omgandwtf1]

How so? I know that chinese folklore doesn't have a singular god (at least not based on my reading of eastern fantasy cultivation novels) but the general idea of a mortal obtaining divine powers seems pretty common, didn't wu Kong start out as a stone that gained elightment then could turn his hair into clones and fought against the heavens before eventually being suppressed under a mountain? Or the phrase when a man ascends his chickens and dogs follow or something like that. Although I can't think of an example of someone doing something exactly like gene splicing. Didn't nuwa create humans out of rock or clay after Pan gu split Chaos creating the universe or something? It gets confusing since many novels alter the various stories to fit the book.

[@KanLuxiang]

@@omgandwtf1 There are gods in Chinese mythology. But China is overall an irreligious society, with Chinese scientists particularly unlikely to be compelled by the argument that something "should be left in God's hands". Tell them the exact negative impact that you are worried about, and they will discuss it with you.

[@omgandwtf1]

@@KanLuxiang ah I see fair enough.

[@jae-rk7xs]

you have no idea, past John. you have noooo idea.

[@donaldwhittaker7987]

Wasn't Kennedy one of the good guys?

[@RedEvee]

if you want to bring back any animal . bring back the Dodo ! . i want to taste it

[@polyweird]

The fact that Pence still supports Trump even after he made Pence a target during the insurrection is just nuts...or just shows how stupid the man really is..

[@Hypoure]

s5!

[@johnchessant3012]

S5 E17

[@SupremeFenix274]

Astute observation, eagle eye.

[@lynnrunningdeer7364]

Dude was a seerer. Unfortunately he was spot on.

[@dorisbelleisle646]

💙💙💙💙

[@ikazukison2]

What the fuck is curling? I have no idea what those gentlemen are yelling about

[@henryadams8301]

Have you ever swept, and have you ever been ice skating? Imagine that, but a thousand times worse and Canadian. Which are technically synonyms.

[@SupremeFenix274]

@@henryadams8301As opposed to baseball, which is almost entirely standing around, waiting for anything to happen.

[@henryadams8301]

@@SupremeFenix274 that's actually the best part! Nothing does. It's more so the game of monotony than anything else

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

You do realise you have internet access that can be used to look things up yeah?

[@jssmith0225]

It’s that sport where you use brooms to help a rock sliding across ice land on a target. Why is it called curling? Nobody knows

[@erisdiscordia5429]

Unicorns are Goats, not horses. Unicorns have cloven hooves, goat beards, and a lion's tail.

[@kellilas]

the joke about vertical video did not age well lol

[@Omicronthewiperofyouknow...]

Just a question. I keep seeing a lot of clips from lastweektonight. All on the same day, but on completely different topics. Is this a deep fake? They are ok, but it's just strange... How long is the show, does anyone know? In the past 2 days I've seen like 5 or 6 different show, all different.

[@TheNinthGeneration1]

These are full episodes of old seasons of the show being released on KZbin. The show is currently on its 11th season, and they have uploaded Seasons 1-5 so far. Older episodes on KZbin were the main story of the episodes on their own, with the full ones on HBO. They have recently changed the access to the old seasons, so John and the rest of the team bought the rights to them, and are uploading the uncut versions on KZbin every few weeks. Their shorts explain it and announce each reupload

[@Omicronthewiperofyouknow...]

@@TheNinthGeneration1 oh, i see... thx!

[@Omicronthewiperofyouknow...]

@@TheNinthGeneration1 Would be nice if they add some sort of time stamps. I keep getting a lot of uploads and I can't follow the date. I really thought this was a deep fake.

[@rachelfox8108]

​@@Omicronthewiperofyouknow... The date the original episode was broadcast is in the description for each one.

[@TheNinthGeneration1]

@@Omicronthewiperofyouknow... the original date is in the description

[@cryptonitor9855]

So you think its bad to improve things using science? Enhancements through genetic pursvasions is whhere dogs and everything humans eat came from. Corn used to be tiny, dogs used to be wolves, cows used to be skinny, sheep dont need that much wool....

[@LadySnowfaerie]

Yes, and it involved a lot of trial, error, and dead or malformed animals and plants along the way. So while this technology should be researched, let's maybe do it with care, and at least try to avoid running headfirst into eugenics while we're at it. Can you imagine someone wanting their baby to have blonde hair and accidentally making hair grow all over the kid's body because something went wrong with the editing process? Like with selective breeding, you could cause serious, debilitating conditions that in the worst case could even become inherited. We can already cause legs grow in the place of a fly's antennae through changing where and how specific genes are expressed. Would you like to see what happens if you accidentally replace someone's arms with extra legs? Scientifically that'd be fascinating, but there's a reason it wouldn't pass any ethics comittee (I hope).

[@lisahenry20]

"Enhancements" like dogs with such short noses that they can't breathe properly or German Shepherds (and other large dog breeds) being high risk of developing hip dysplasia, or sheep that were bred to grow so much wool that they have to be sheared regularly or they will overheat?

[@Tonyhouse1168]

Corn with no nutritional value that our bodies can’t actually digest..

[@Samson16436]

The point is that it's a slippery slope and invites eugenics. Personally I also think there's a discussion to be had about consent as well for when it comes to editing the genes of zygotes/potential new people. I'm not advocating for "fetus hood" btw. I just think that the definition of enhancement when it comes to humans is subjective. Breeding dogs was to help us develop tools (the dog) that we needed at the time. Food and other resources are part of what we consume. There's a big difference between form and function. I think we need to be very careful with how we apply this sort of thinking when it comes to us.

[@bog6106]

invent a desirable women! Please

[@salvasalda]

F Leonard Leo for all history.