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Güneş Taylor

Leading science communicator

Gunes Taylor is a training fellow at the Francis Crick Institute, the London-based biomedical research centre. Her research predominantly focuses on the the genetic formation of ovaries and testes. Gunes has debated the implications of genome editing in forums such as Fertility Fest, the Festival of Genomics, and Virtual Futures, and is fascinated by our cultural and ideological responses to our genetic makeup.

As a molecular biologist she uses many cutting-edge technologies to understand how reproductive systems are built. Güneş is a highly experienced public speaker, who has interviewed Richard Dawkins, Yuval Harari, Slavoj Zizek, Robert Plomin, Simon Baron-Cohen and Lord Robert Winston.

Photo of Güneş Taylor

Gunes Taylor is a training fellow at the Francis Crick Institute, the London-based biomedical research centre. Her research predominantly focuses on the the genetic formation of ovaries and testes. Gunes has debated the implications of genome editing in forums such as Fertility Fest, the Festival of Genomics, and Virtual Futures, and is fascinated by our cultural and ideological responses to our genetic makeup.

As a molecular biologist she uses many cutting-edge technologies to understand how reproductive systems are built. Güneş is a highly experienced public speaker, who has interviewed Richard Dawkins, Yuval Harari, Slavoj Zizek, Robert Plomin, Simon Baron-Cohen and Lord Robert Winston.

Güneş Taylor Videos

A partially assembled puzzle featuring a blue DNA double helix design, with several pieces scattered around it on a gray surface.
Barry C. Smith,Angela Saini,Güneş Taylor,Robert Plomin,Simon Baron-Cohen

The making of us

Are humans shaped by genetics or environment?
A white plate with a sunny-side-up egg on a vibrant yellow background, surrounded by silver spoons arranged to resemble sperm.
Güneş Taylor

The Contraception Delusion

Fertility, sex and the future
A woman in a polka dot dress speaks passionately, with a faded portrait of another smiling woman in the background.
Julian Baggini,Peter Atkins,Philip Goff,Güneş Taylor,Melanie Challenger

Life, the universe, and everything else

Has science rendered philosophy redundant?
A stylized illustration of a hand holding a lightbulb shaped like a brain, set against a colorful background featuring human profile silhouettes.
Julian Baggini,Barry C. Smith,Güneş Taylor,Tommy J. Curry

The passion of reason

Does emotion rule over reason?
A swirling spiral of mathematical equations and symbols radiates light, creating a dynamic representation of mathematical concepts and the universe's complexity.
Hilary Lawson,Joanna Kavenna,Rupert Sheldrake,Peter Atkins,Güneş Taylor

Reality, fantasy and metaphor

Are scientific metaphors a real description of reality?

Güneş Taylor Articles

An abstract illustration of a human profile incorporating geometric shapes, an eye, and swirling lines against a textured green background.
Güneş Taylor,Mia Sorenti

The Brave New World of synthetic humans
A healthcare professional uses tweezers to manipulate a DNA strand, surrounded by double helix structures in shades of blue.
Güneş Taylor

Will gene editing unlock new potentials for progress?

More Videos

A surreal depiction of a humanoid arm reaching out with mechanical elements, juxtaposed with a human hand about to make contact, reminiscent of Michelangelo's
Anders Sandberg,Richard K. Morgan,Victoria Turk,Nicky Ashwell

Brave New Horizon

Where will technology lead the human race?
A marble statue of Heracles, depicted in a contemplative pose, sitting on the ground with one knee raised and hand resting on his leg.
Robert Rowland Smith,Havi Carel,Parashkev Nachev,Pen Hadow

The Immortal Now

Can philosophy teach us how to die?
A stylized human figure made of dots and strands is emerging from a DNA double helix, symbolizing the connection between genetics and human life.
David Malone,Rupert Sheldrake,Denis Noble,Anne Bowcock

Emperor's New Genes

Are genes not the blueprint for life we imagined?

A human skull positioned on a dark surface, illuminated by a soft light that highlights its contours and shadows.
Brooke Magnanti

What happens to our bodies when we die?

Biologist Brooke Magnati reveals the secrets of decay
A stylized human figure made of dots and strands is emerging from a DNA double helix, symbolizing the connection between genetics and human life.
Lou Marinoff,Helena Cronin,Nayef Al-Rodhan,Richard Corfield

The Evolution of Desire

Do genetics explain all of human nature?
A hand holds a small plant with green leaves and soil, symbolizing growth and environmental care against a blurred natural background.
Aubrey de Grey

Defeating Aging

Do you want to live forever?
A pair of realistic hands, one with a shiny metallic finish and the other in a textured dark color, positioned palm down on a white surface.
Nicky Ashwell

The New Bodies

Transhumanism: Rise of the Cyborgs
Close-up of full, glossy lips with a light pink hue, showcasing texture and shine.
Rowan Pelling

Orgasmatron

What can MRI scans of brains in orgasm tell us?
A surreal scene depicting a man wearing glasses and a helmet sitting at a table with a baboon, both holding cocktails, under a stormy sky with lightning.
David Malone,Rupert Sheldrake,Oliver Scott Curry,Eva Jablonka

After Darwin

Is the age of selfish gene theory over?
A man in a shirt and tie pours thick liquid from a bottle into a spoon, displaying a focused expression.
Isabel Hilton,Sue Bailey,David Healy,Jeremy Taylor

Are Doctors Bad For Us?

Medicine, trust, and power
A group of hands in various skin tones and positions is stacked together, creating a sense of unity and collaboration, with a blue and purple gradient background.
Zoe Williams,Philip Ball,Kurt Barling,Anne Bowcock

The Illusion of Race

How do we move on from race?
A man in a suit with a broken television for a head, connected to a tree, set against a colorful abstract background.
Julian Baggini,Janet Radcliffe-Richards,Daniel Everett,Oliver Scott Curry

After Evolution

Is culture beyond genetics?
A surgical team in scrubs and masks collaborates in an operating room, surrounded by medical instruments on a table and a monitor displaying patient information.
Phillip Blond,David Healy,David Nutt

Doctors in the Age of Google

Is it time to rid ourselves of medical authority?
A person standing on a cliff, overlooking a vast ocean under a cloudy sky, conveying a sense of solitude and contemplation.
Nicholas Humphrey

The Evolution of Suicide

Nicholas Humphrey | Self-killing's genetic history
A close-up of surgical forceps with a blood-stained suture on a blue surgical drape, indicating a medical procedure.
David Healy

Doctors and the Danger Industry

Can big data improve the effectiveness of drugs?
A massive nuclear explosion creates a billowing mushroom cloud above the ocean, surrounded by dark, dramatic skies illuminated by fiery orange and yellow hues.
Sebastian Farquhar

Life On The Edge

How can we halt society's existential crises?
A single wilted red rose with brown, dried leaves resting on its petals against a soft, blurred background.
Patricia MacCormack,Anders Sandberg,Janne Teller,Rowan Pelling

Overcoming death

Does fearing death prevent us from fully living?
Silhouette of a person with glasses against a vibrant, colorful background of DNA sequencing patterns.
Julian Baggini,Steven Rose,Adrian Bird,Caroline Relton

Why We Are Who We Are

The epigenetic revolution
A group of men in white shirts, black hats, and ties walk across a vast desert, each carrying a briefcase, creating a surreal and repetitive scene.
Hilary Rose,Barnaby Martin,Ian Wilmut,Anders Sandberg

Planet of the Clones

Should we clone human beings?
A close-up of a person's face painted blue with a world map design, showcasing green eyes and a creative representation of the Earth.
David Malone,Eva Aldea,Nicholas Maxwell,Nicholas Humphrey,Ken Binmore

The Uniqueness of Humanity

Is evolution progress?
A runner traverses colorful, intertwining neurons, symbolizing the connection between physical activity and neural activity in the brain.
Steven Rose

Genes, Cells, and Brains

Taking on the bioscience industry
A medical professional in a white coat holds a red stethoscope with arms crossed, symbolizing healthcare and physician authority.
Rachel Armstrong,Steve Fuller,Athene Donald,Lionel Milgrom,Dylan Evans

A Paradigm of Health

What are the limits of western medicine?

A man with curly hair speaks at a panel discussion, while a woman in glasses listens attentively, surrounded by glasses of water and floral arrangements.
Patricia Ellis,Martin Kemp,Griselda Pollock,Hans Maes,Cedar Lewisohn

The Naked Truth

How does the body in art relate to physical-being? Is nudity ever more than a sales tactic?
A futuristic humanoid robot showcasing a sleek design, with visible internal circuitry and a partially transparent head revealing colorful neural connections.
Kevin Warwick

Cyborg Future

Microprocessors & nano-robots in the human body
An older man with silver hair gestures while speaking, seated on a floral-patterned chair. A glass pitcher is visible in the foreground.
Hilary Lawson,Bryan Appleyard,Elisabeth Schellekens,Semir Zeki

Inside the Mind’s Eye
An elderly woman with curly white hair, wearing glasses and a black hat, sits in front of a colorful quilt-like backdrop.
Mary Midgley

The Solitary Self - Darwin and the Selfish Gene
A red apple with multiple syringes inserted into it, symbolizing genetic modification or scientific experimentation.
David Healy,Phillip Ball,Jacob Stegenga,Pallavi Bradshaw

Your Life in the Balance

Should we trust doctors less than we do?
A dark image featuring a human hand resting on a detailed skull, set against a black background, evoking a somber and mysterious atmosphere.
Brooke Magnanti

Documenting Death

Whose death is worth recording? | Brooke Magnanti
A jar tipped over, spilling white round tablets onto a surface, with soft purple lighting in the background.
Ritula Shah,David Healy,Clare Gerada,Gisela Stuart

Docs in the Dock

What can we do about medical errors?
A historical hospital setting features several empty beds, emphasizing the theme of medical errors, with a person seated on a bed in the background.
Mark Salter,Diane Abbott,Roger Bolton,David Healy,Natalie Bennett

Are Hospitals Bad For Us?

Social justice impacts our health more than medicine
White wooden blocks spelling
Colin Tudge

Why Genes Are Not Selfish and People Are Nice

Neoliberalism makes for crude science

Illustration depicting three figures with open heads: one with syringes, another with a bottle, and the third with a cigarette, symbolizing different influences on the brain.
Hilary Lawson,Mary Ann Sieghart,Kevin Sabet,Mike Trace

Morality, Hypocrisy and Health

Drugs and Western imperialism
A graphic depicting two human silhouettes facing each other; one head has colorful butterflies, while the other features a complex maze pattern, symbolizing contrasting thoughts or perspectives.
Helena Cronin

Sex, Science, and Stereotypes

Why women have evolved differently from men
A green-colored anatomical skeleton model in a thoughtful pose against a dark green background.
George Ellis

How Science Tells Us Who We Are

George Ellis | Nature vs nurture
A woman with blonde hair and a black jacket gestures while sitting in front of a colorful patterned backdrop.
Rachel Armstrong

Designing Life
An elderly man struggles to pull a large clock with a rope, symbolizing the challenge of managing time and aging.
Marcel Theroux

How to Live Forever

A future without morality
A close-up of two hands clasping each other, one hand wearing a ring, symbolizing connection and intimacy.
Jacob Stegenga

Medicine's Mistakes

Should we distrust medicine?
A man profiles a hyper-realistic sculpture of an ear on an arm, showcasing intricate details and an artistic blend of human features and form.
Stelarc

Meat, Metal, Code
A man with long gray hair and a beard speaks into a microphone at an event, wearing a hoodie and seated in front of a screen.
Bryan Appleyard,Mary Warnock,John Harris,Aubrey de Grey,Athene Donald

Human and Superhuman

Is the pursuit of eternal youth fair on the young?
Close-up view of a DNA double helix structure, showcasing its intricate molecular design and blue color, representing genetic information.
Tim Spector

Should We Change Our Genes?

Is ‘gene-doping’ a threat to humanity?
Detailed illustration of a jellyfish and its anatomy, showcasing vibrant colors and intricate structures of tentacles and body.
Ralph Cordey,Nick Lane,Monica Grady

The Mystery of Life

If we find extraterrestrial life, will we recognise it as life at all?
A muscular arm with a visible interior of gears and mechanical components, symbolizing a blend of human strength and technology.
Ian Wilmut

Stem Cells and the Future of Medicine

Can stem cells ethically transform medicine?

A stethoscope resting on a laptop keyboard, symbolizing the intersection of healthcare and technology.
Ben Hammersley,Mark Salter,Victoria Lambert,Matt Jameson Evans

Trust Me, I'm Google

Medicine in a digital age
A photo featuring two middle-aged men against a colorful background featuring DNA strands, suggesting a discussion on science or philosophical topics.
Richard Dawkins,David Freeman

Dawkins on the crisis of rationality

In conversation with Richard Dawkins
A vintage illustration of medical professionals attending to a patient in a hospital bed, showcasing a nurse and a doctor in surgical attire.
Mark Salter,David Healy,Nick Lane,Caitjan Gainty

How specialisation is killing us

Life, death, and specialisation
A neon sign featuring a red crossed-out hand symbol and a white eye symbol against a black background.
John Ioannidis

Science, hypocrisy and lies

The truth deficit
Luke Robert Mason

Wave goodbye to being human

The transhumanist dream
A contemplative man in a suit, with white hair, surrounded by soft green foliage and a bokeh background.
Denis Noble,Güneş Taylor

The life and philosophy of Denis Noble

Esteemed biologist reflects on life and career
A small green chair placed inside an amber glass bottle with a white cap, against a light orange background.
Sunetra Gupta,Hugh Montgomery,David Spiegelhalter

Risk, Evidence and Lockdown

The right response to Covid-19?
A transparent sphere containing a small, robotic baby, surrounded by a network of dark, intricate cables and pipes, creating a futuristic, sci-fi atmosphere.
Theodore Dalrymple,Stephanie Hare,Güneş Taylor,David Pearce

The matrix or the miracle

The future of the family

More Articles

A colorful abstract representation of a digital pattern featuring vertical lines and blocks in shades of pink, yellow, and black, likely resembling data visualization or genetic sequencing.
John Parrington

CRISPR's Brave New World
A vibrant swirl of colorful, flowing abstract shapes blending shades of blue, red, orange, and turquoise against a black background.
Andrew Reynolds

Science is based in metaphor
Illustration of a colorful DNA double helix with stylized strands and a circular background, highlighting genetic elements labeled
Kevin Davies

Rewriting the code of life
A human hand reaching towards a glowing DNA double helix in a cosmic space background, symbolizing the intersection of science and creation.
Julian Savulescu

The moral case for eugenics?

A hand holding scissors is poised to cut a DNA strand, symbolizing genetic editing and biotechnology advancements against a backdrop of blue DNA helices.
Sahotra Sarkar

The false promise of human gene editing
Abstract image featuring a vibrant gradient of colors including blue, purple, pink, yellow, and orange, creating a soft, blended effect.
Peter Stilwell,Sabrina Coninx

A new paradigm to understand pain
A solitary figure walks along a dimly lit path, with a strong shadow stretching behind them, set against a dark backdrop.
Emily Jackson

Euthanasia isn't a slippery slope

An abstract design featuring colorful, flowing wave patterns against a black background, showcasing gradients of blue, pink, and green.
J. Arvid Ågren

Looking at genes through a human lens
A young child in a blue hoodie playfully interacts with a brown dog in a grassy, sunlit forest setting, holding a pink frisbee.
Gordon Burghardt

The mystery and origins of play
Melinda Bonnie Fagan

Biology's Uncertainty Principle
A large orange iguana with prominent spines rests among green foliage, showcasing its vibrant scales and distinctive posture in a natural setting.
Denis Noble

The fight for the future of biology
A surreal depiction of the pyramids at sunset, with illuminated structures in the foreground, a glowing moon, and a starry sky, creating a mystical atmosphere.
Victor Kumar,Richmond Cambell

Nature didn't make us human, culture did
Charles Darwin and Jacques Derrida against a background of DNA strands, illustrating the intersection of evolution and deconstructionist philosophy.
David Haig

From Darwin to Derrida: evolution as interpretation
Abstract painting featuring three large, expressive blue eyes against vibrant, multicolored backgrounds with dripping paint effects.
Anna Lembke

Too much pleasure causes pain

A row of test tubes filled with vibrant colored liquids, each featuring bubbles, reflecting a spectrum of red, yellow, green, blue, and purple hues.
Avi Loeb

How science makes politics absurd
Microscopic view of vibrant green cells, showcasing cellular structures and biological processes in high contrast against a dark background.
Nick Lane,Omari Edwards

Cracking the creation of life
Underwater scene featuring a rocky seafloor illuminated by sunlight, with small fish swimming among the corals in a deep blue ocean.
Helen Czerski

The ocean is the engine of the Earth
A person sitting on a rocky ledge overlooking a vast valley and mountains during sunset, with clouds scattered across the sky.
Rob Dunn

The microorganism that shaped humanity
A silver stethoscope with a blue tubing, positioned on a bright turquoise background.
David Healy

We risk turning life into an illness
An artistic representation of Earth in black and white, set against a red background, with a viral structure overlay suggesting a connection to a pandemic.
Lorenzo Servitje,Clare Chandler

The post-antibiotic apocalypse is here
A close-up view of abstract colorful molecules interconnected with a green background, showcasing various sizes and textures of spheres.
Darcy Bounsall,Addy Pross

The mystery of living things
A traditional Japanese painting featuring a crane in flight, a falcon capturing prey, and blooming peonies set against a gold background with rocky landscapes.
Lee Cronin

A new theory of matter may help explain life
An artistic representation of a human silhouette with internal anatomy, surrounded by historical imagery relating to health and humanitarian efforts, including a Red Cross vehicle and medical personnel.
Camilla Nord

The mind-body problem is ruining our health
A focused surgeon wearing a surgical mask and headlamp, leaning over a patient during an operation, surrounded by surgical drapes and equipment.
Steve Fuller

Suspended Ethics?
A surreal digital illustration of a human head with a vibrant explosion of colorful molecules and data streams representing thoughts, knowledge, and creativity.
Nicholas Humphrey

Entering the Soul Niche
Three white doves flying against a bright blue sky with a radiant sun and wispy clouds.
Rupert Sheldrake

A New Science of Life
A close-up of a bloodied hand resting on the ground, holding a rusty nail, with visible injuries on the wrist and dirt surrounding.
David Healy

The Persecution of Heretics
A resting giant panda curled up on wooden logs in a natural habitat.
Sarah Chan

Who First into the Ark?
A colorful assortment of pink and white pills and tablets scattered across a blue background.
Jon Jureidini,Leemon McHenry

An Enemy of The Open Society
A large, vibrant yellow flower stands against a surreal landscape featuring swirling clouds and golden chains against a blue sky.
Kevin J. Mitchell

Life, agency, and the evolution of free will