This week, Alok Jha and the Science Weekly team discard the hyperbole and headlines about creating artificial life to discuss the very real future of synthetic biology - unquestionably one of the most exciting fields in science today.
Philipp Holliger, the programme leader at the Medical Research Council laboratory of molecular biology in Cambridge, tells us about the science and engineering involved, as well as some of the medical benefits researchers hope to achieve. Brian Wynne from the University of Lancaster, meanwhile, alerts us to some of the potential societal impacts of genomics.
Also in the show, philosopher Daniel Dennett explains why he believes religion is an affront to rationality. His thoughts come from a recent debate with Robert Winston - and you can read both of their viewpoints here.
Finally we round up the rest of the week's science news, including the bionic eye; the discovery (possibly) of dark matter in Italy; and why Macclesfield's favourite soft rock radio station is leading the campaign to save one of Britain's most iconic telescopes. James Randerson, Ian Sample, and Nell Boase make up the panel.
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