Exploring the Future
One Story at a Time
..brilliant view of what cutting-edge medical technology can - and cannot - tell us about our future health."
— Clive Cookson, Financial Times, review of MastermindsDavid Ewing Duncan works at the nexus of science, technology, and human progress. His work examines the innovations shaping our world—from AI and biotechnology to longevity science and the ethics of innovation. For over two decades, David has covered and absorbed himself in some of the most astonishing scientific and technological breakthroughs in history, from the Human Genome Project and the rise of AI to test-driving hundreds of new DNA and molecular tests and new digital tech. He offers a discerning eye to how the great discoveries of our age will impact people now and in the future.
His career has taken him from research labs to policy roundtables, global summits, and Fortune 500 boardrooms. His work appears in top publications and media outlets and strives to go deep in his books on topics ranging from the microbiome of the Earth to the secrets of how genius innovators make groundbreaking discoveries. As an adventurer he has explored and written about remote corners of the world (mostly on a bicycle). As a researcher has used himself to become one of the most medically tested people alive.
Whether writing, speaking, or advising, David’s mission remains the same: to do his best to translate complexity into clarity; to separate hype from reality; and to help people understand what’s next—and why it matters.
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Profile of David in Vanity Fair
“Duncan, in many ways, is a historian of the future—that is, the ways in which humans have historically envisioned what’s to come.”
From “David Ewing Duncan Is Ready for the Robot Revolution,”
by Mary Alice Miller
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Journalist & Author
David’s investigative work and in-depth analysis have appeared in the world’s most respected publications. His books and essays explore the intersections of science, technology, and culture, offering insights into how innovation is reshaping humanity.
Featured in: Vanity Fair, Wired, The Atlantic, The New York Times, NPR, ABC News, Fortune, MIT Technology Review, and more.
He has written 12 books published in 21 languages.
Keynote Speaker & Futurist
David speaks on the future of biotechnology, AI, and innovation, and the wondrous possibilities and challenges. He has given hundreds of talks that engage and challenge audiences all over the world, providing data-driven insights, stories, and real-world implications.
Speaking engagements, talks, and appearances include: TEDx, Fortune 500 companies, National Academies of Sciences, the NIH, US Congress, global summits, grand rounds at major medical centers, workshops, foundations, media gatherings, and top universities.
David was the founding Director of the Center for Life Science Policy at UC Berkeley and a Health Expert-in-Residence at IDEO.
Event Curator
David works with business leaders, policymakers, universities, and research institutions to create and curate unique events that are designed to inform on the latest technologie and issues and to offer unexpected insights—but most of all, David’s events aim to be different and exciting, often mixing talks by leading thought-leaders and movers and shakers—plus music, film, and other arts offerings, and the unexpected.
He co-founded BioAgenda, a 3-day retreat-style meeting held annually at La Quinta in Palm Springs, California, and Arc Fusion, a boutique gathering with talks by thoughtful and impactful leaders, arts offerings, intimate dinner conversations, and the unexpected, with over 25 evenings held in 12 cities on three continents. He was Creative Director of Cure in New York, helping to oversee, create, and produce over 100 events in the life sciences space.
David’s advisory work helps to inform select organizations on current and future trends and to develop strategies in an era of rapid change.
Clients and sponsors include: Foundations, Funds, Fortune 500 companies, media organizations, think tanks, and major research institutions.
Researcher & Explorer
As a researcher and the Founding Director of the Center for Life Science Policy at UC Berkeley, David has worked with dozens of universities and foundations as an advisor and researcher. He has authored numerous studies and white papers for the NIH, USCF, UC Berkeley, Kauffman Foundation, and many more.
After college David organized and led the World Bike for Hope, a 14,000-mile bicycling expedition around the world to raise money for Project Hope. Major sponsors and funders included American Express, Hallmark, Fuji Bikes, Eddie Bauer, North Face, and more. His first book, Pedaling the Ends of the Earth, recounts the trip.
Fixing a tire on the Sahara Desert, Sudan, World Bike for Hope, 23 countries, 14,000 miles
In 1986-87, David and a friend bicycled from Cape Town to Cairo, 7,000 miles, while David covered the continent for NPR, Outside, and the Christian Science Monitor. He wrote Cape to Cairo about this adventure.
David arriving at the Great Pyramids at Giza after cycling 7,000 miles from Cape Town , South Africa Cape To Cairo Expediition
AUTHOR · JOURNALIST · ENTREPRENEUR · ADVISOR · RESEARCHER · EXPLORER
AUTHOR · JOURNALIST · ENTREPRENEUR · ADVISOR · RESEARCHER · EXPLORER