Can We Build a Human? – A Question of Science with Professor Brian Cox

Video Description

Professor Brian Cox and our expert panel discuss the world of bioengineering – and the line between replacement and enhancement. In this episode, our panel draws on expertise in biological implants, stem cell science, and organoid research to explore how close we are to developing the components that make up a person in the lab. They discuss when biology is driven by curiosity and when it’s driven by the desire to help people – and why both are essential, before answering audience questions about lab-grown organs, brain–computer interfaces, and how we might define consciousness in a synthetic brain. *In this episode* 00:00 Can we build a human? 01:25 Who are our panel? 03:11 What is the current research looking at? 05:55 What are brain and spinal implants currently used to treat? 09:46 Could we grow organs from an individual's own cells? 11:30 What does a brain organoid look like? 13:31 Could synthetically produced organs replace the need for donor transplants? 16:58 How far away are we from mechanical limbs? 19:02 How far away are we from a brain transplant? 22:16 Who should decide when it comes to this kind of research? 25:50 Do you think a synthetic being could ever be conscious? 27:18 Is it possible to engineer a human from scratch? 31:25 If you were building a human what sex would they be? 34:31 Would building humans help us expand to other planets? 35:38 What would Mary Shelley think of all this? 38:10 Should we build a better human body? 39:35 How much would it cost? *Panellists* • Mark Pollock – Motivational speaker and explorer • George Malliaras – Professor of Technology, University of Cambridge • Madeline Lancaster – Group Leader, Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology • Robin Lovell-Badge – Group Leader, Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute *A Question of Science* A Question of Science is a groundbreaking series of panel discussions where experts from different fields respond to your questions, sharing the scientific perspective on society’s most pressing questions. A Question of Science is BBC Studios production for the Francis Crick Institute. *The Francis Crick Institute* The Francis Crick Institute is one of the biggest research institutes in Europe. We’re an independent lab and registered charity, and home to more than 1,500 scientists working to understand health, disease and how life works. © BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025