Powerful computing and affordable genetic analysis are improving our understanding of our bodies and leveling the playing field against disease. This week on the GeekWire radio show, we get a glimpse into this world with our guest, Dr. Eugene Kolker, chief data officer at the Seattle Children’s Hospital and Research Institute.
After diving into Kolker’s work at Seattle Children’s, we explore the rising trend of personal genome sequencing, which is becoming an increasingly useful tool for detecting our long-term susceptibility to disease. Kolker shares examples to illustrate how this knowledge can lead people to change their own habits, reducing their chances of disease and improving their lives over the long run.
As we note in the final segment, it’s a fascinating moment in the evolution of humanity, as we use all of these tools to improve our quality of life and stack the deck more in our favor against problems that have been around for centuries.
The discussion with Kolker begins in the second segment, at the 8:20 mark in the audio player above, following our news roundup. Topics this week include Microsoft’s big earnings miss and $900 million Surface charge, and Nordstrom’s decision to end a smartphone tracking program that analyzed the movement of shoppers in stores.
App of the Week: Runtastic Sit-Ups Pro (Android, iPhone) and Push-Ups Pro (Android, iPhone). (Thanks to Leigh Fatzinger for recommending these apps!)
Name that Tech Tune: The answer to last week’s challenge
GeekWire Sounders Day: Sept. 4 — tickets available here.
Listen to the show above or directly via this MP3 file.
