When the next great software revolution is life itself, you will never look at yourself the same way again. If the lines between humans and machines are blurring, how digital do we want to become? In this eye-opening talk, Dr. Elsa Sotiriadis, a bio-futurist and real-life cyborg, dives into a terrifying and uplifting world, where science fiction is becoming reality. She shows how it radically changes our relationship with technology, evolution and death, and why our products will soon be grown. Elsa is a synthetic biologist, futurist and science fiction writer interested in fixing the world by hacking the code of life. Elsa is a former venture capital investor and holds a Ph.D. in synthetic biology from Imperial College London. Today, she works with large organizations? on digital biology. She has written for and been featured in various media, including BBC and Singularity Hub and writes science fiction on the side (as Elsa Solaris). As a ‘Bio-Futurist’ she has helped iconic global tech companies turn science fiction into reality by exploring how future computer parts won’t be manufactured but grown - with biology. She wants to inspire others to step into this vibrant world, to imagine boldly and disrupt kindly, so we can co-create a humane future.

Follow Elsa on twitter @thebiofuturist or find out more on her website www.thebiofuturist.io This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx