EPISODE · Mar 23, 2026 · 39 MIN
The Editor
from THE ARTIFACT: True Stories of Fraud, Ego, and the Lies We Call Fact · host The Artifact
In 2018, human history fractured. In a secret lab in Shenzhen, the first gene-edited humans—Lulu and Nana—were born into a world that was fundamentally unprepared for them. This is the story of He Jiankui, the "rural prodigy" who sought to become the Chinese Einstein but became a global pariah instead. From forged ethical reviews to a consent process built on the "AIDS vaccine" lie, we dismantle the ego and the hubris behind the CRISPR babies. But the story doesn't end in a prison cell. With a chaotic 2026 comeback involving a biotech rebrand, a "Manhattan Project" for embryos, and a desperate shout into the digital void, He Jiankui is still trying to kick open the door to our genetic future. Meanwhile, three children carry the secrets of a rewritten species in every cell of their bodies.
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What this episode covers
He was called irresponsible, disturbing, and—to the horror of the scientific world—proud. THE ARTIFACT investigates He Jiankui, the man who bypassed every ethical guardrail to create the first gene-edited humans. We expose the "AIDS vaccine" deception, his three-year prison sentence, and his high-stakes 2026 attempt to reclaim his status as a "biotech rebel". The story of the man who changed us—before we were ready to change.
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The Editor
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