Playing God

Adam Rutherford meets a new creature created by American scientists, the spider-goat. It is part goat, part spider, and its milk can be used to create artificial spider's web. It is part of a new field of research, synthetic biology, with a radical aim: to break down nature into spare parts so that we can rebuild it however we please. This technology is already being used to make bio-diesel to power cars. Other researchers are looking at how we might, one day, control human emotions by sending 'biological machines' into our brains.

Other episodes for this season

Do You See What I See?
Episode 1 - Do You See What I See?
Seeing Stars
Episode 2 - Seeing Stars
The Nine Months That Made You
Episode 3 - The Nine Months That Made...
The Core
Episode 4 - The Core
Are You Good or Evil?
Episode 5 - Are You Good or Evil?
Fukushima: Is Nuclear Power Safe?
Episode 6 - Fukushima: Is Nuclear Pow...
Playing God
Episode 7 - Playing God
The Truth About Exercise
Episode 8 - The Truth About Exercise
Solar Storms: The Threat to Planet Earth
Episode 9 - Solar Storms: The Threat...
Out of Control?
Episode 10 - Out of Control?
The Truth about Fat
Episode 11 - The Truth about Fat
Global Weirding
Episode 12 - Global Weirding
Defeating Cancer
Episode 13 - Defeating Cancer