Science

playing god?

by Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics

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playing god? presents… "Gut Strings," a musician’s experience with uncertainty around an unexpected colon cancer diagnosis. Loren Ludwig, previously protected by confidence in his ability to learn his way past personal obstacles, must now…
A World Without Nurses

July 7, 2026 · 25 min

playing god? presents… "A World Without Nurses"—it’s a future no one wants to imagine, but doing so brings into sharp focus just how essential nurses are today. Prepare to be transported into this dystopian scenario through innovative…
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June 30, 2026 · 2 min

The iDeas Lab team is hard at work on playing god? Season 3, but we have some special things to share with you in the meantime. Listen for a preview of what’s coming next in the feed. And we’re opening a voicemail box! Call us at…
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A Shot at Weight Loss: Should I Take It?

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How Far Would You Go to Have a Healthy Baby?

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After losing their son Noahto to mitochondrial disease, Kristelle and Evan Shulman are determined that his death will not be in vain, holding fast to their dream of having healthy, biologically-related children. This search leads them…
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June 2, 2026 · 25 min

When Kristelle and Evan Shulman lose their young son Noah to a rare mitochondrial disease, they are told they may never be able to have a healthy biologically related child. Then they discover mitochondrial replacement technology, or MRT…
To Infinity and Beyond—At What Cost?

May 26, 2026 · 25 min

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Coming soon: playing god? Season 2

May 12, 2026 · 2 min

Life and death decisions. Difficult tradeoffs. “playing god?” explores ethical dilemmas in health and medicine through the first-person stories of people who have lived them. Brought to you by the Dracopoulos-Bloomberg iDeas Lab at the…
Prequel: The God Squad

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Back in the 1960s, a committee of seven Seattle residents met regularly to decide which patients with chronic kidney disease were “worthy” of life-saving dialysis. Whoever wasn’t selected by the committee would likely die within months…
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About the show

Life-and-death decisions. Difficult tradeoffs. playing god? explores ethical dilemmas in health and medicine through the first-person stories of people who have lived them. Recognized with three 2024 Signal Awards. Brought to you by the Dracopoulos-Bloomberg iDeas Lab at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics.