Moonshot Radio [S1:E8] — Heather Dewey-Hagborg: Biosurveillance, DNA Profiling & Genetic Identity

Your DNA is everywhere. Who gets to read it—and what story will they tell?In this episode of Moonshot Radio, I speak with artist and biohacker Heather Dewey-Hagborg, known for reconstructing human faces from discarded DNA. Her groundbreaking project Stranger Visions exposed how easily genetic material can be collected from everyday objects, and how quickly it can be transformed into data, prediction, and identity.We explore the expanding world of biosurveillance: how our bodies—DNA, microbes, facial features, fingerprints, even breath and heat—are increasingly tracked, analyzed, and categorized by governments and corporations.In this conversation, we discuss:Forensic DNA phenotyping and the rise of “DNA mugshots”Chelsea Manning and the politics of algorithmic identityBiobanks, newborn blood spots, and the hidden afterlives of our biological samplesGenetic prediction of behavior—and its use in courtsThe risks of eugenics, “designer genetics,” and data-driven purity narrativesWhether biotechnology will deepen inequality—or help us reconnectThis episode asks urgent questions about privacy, agency, and control in an age where biology itself has become legible.What does identity mean when your genetic blueprint can be read, stored, sold, and interpreted?