The speaker is Dick Teresi speaking in 1982, a science writer and author known for his contributions to various publications, including co-founding Omni magazine in the late 1970s. Omni was a science and science fiction magazine that combined interviews, fiction, and articles on the latest trends in science, technology, and society.
Teresi had written about a variety of scientific topics over his career and one of the areas he's explored in-depth is the definition of death, especially in the context of medical and technological advancements. His book, "The Undead: Organ Harvesting, the Ice-Water Test, Beating-Heart Cadavers—How Medicine Is Blurring the Line Between Life and Death," delves into the nuances of how we define life and death in modern medicine.
In 1982 when this TV show was presented the medical field was in the midst of rapid innovation and change.
Genetic Engineering and Therapy: The early 1980s witnessed the birth of the biotechnology industry. With the development of recombinant DNA technology, there were predictions that genetic diseases could be cured by replacing or fixing the problematic genes.
Telemedicine: The idea that doctors could diagnose and treat patients remotely using telecommunications was starting to gain traction. This has become a reality today, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Organ Transplants: Organ transplantation was still a relatively new field, and there were predictions of improvements in transplant techniques, organ preservation, and anti-rejection drugs.
HIV/AIDS: In the early 1980s, the HIV/AIDS epidemic was just beginning. There was hope (and expectation) of finding a cure or vaccine. While we've made significant progress in treating the disease, a complete cure or universally effective vaccine is still being pursued.