Friday afternoon offered my favorite talk of the weekend, a presentation on emerging technologies in the field of genetic and epigenetic engineering. Moogfest is ideal for creating these sort of brain-stretching conversations before everyone parties the night away, and for that reason, it’s a much more compelling experience than most music festivals unless the partying is all you care about.

This talk by Charlie Gersbach, PhD. of Duke University was absolutely fascinating, and it convinced me that we are entering a new age of creativity over life itself. Just wait 50 years (or maybe five) until your buddy invites you over for a few beers and an evening of tinkering with a new species of lizard he’s been working on. If you think that won’t be possible, then you should have heard this talk, as it would have convinced you of the genetic revolution that is about to hit. I caught a few minutes of the next session on “Prototyping Utopia," but a rainstorm was threatening to land so we hustled over to Arcana Bar and Lounge to settle into a four-hour techno and house set while we avoided the weather.