Jamie Metzl: 25 Questions Answered

Getty Jamie Metzl speaks at a screening of the documentary "Fixer: The Taking of Ajmal Naqshbandi," in 2009 in New York City.

Jamie Metzl is an American futurist, writer, geopolitical expert and scientific adviser. Metzl has written about several topics, including technology, China, Asia, politics, science, the COVID-19 coronavirus. He is a frequent guest on TV and radio shows and podcasts, including the Joe Rogan Experience. Metzl has spoken out often in 2020 and 2021 about the importance of an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

Metzl has worked for the U.S. government and has been an adviser to organizations worldwide. He has also run for public office and authored multiple books.

Here are 25 questions answered about Jamie Metzl:

1. What Is Jamie Metzl Known For?

Jamie MetzlJamie Metzl.

Jamie Frederic Metzl is known for his writing and work on the future, science, technology and politics. According to his website, Metzl, “appears regularly on national and international media his syndicated columns and other writing on science, technology, health, politics, and international affairs are featured regularly in publications around the world.”

Metzl said in 2017 that when he is asked what he does for a living, “I answer differently every day. For really attractive women I say I’m a novelist. Interesting people—I tell them that I’m a futurist and a political commentator. People that I want to get rid of, I say that I work at think tanks.”

2. Where Was Jamie Metzl Born?

Jamie Metzl was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 1, 1968. Metzl has also lived in Massachusetts and New York, and has resided in Washington, D.C. since 1997. According to a 2003 article about his family, Metzl “enjoyed a comfortable childhood in Kansas City.” Metzl went to high school at The Barstow School in Kansas City.

3. Where Did Jamie Metzl Go to College?

Jamie Metzl attended Brown University. He graduated magna cum laude from the Rhode Island school in 1990 as a member of Phi Betta Kappa, according to the Brown Alumni Magazine. He studied history at Brown. Metzl then attended Oxford University, where he completed his Ph.D. in Southeast Asian history and earned his law degree from Harvard Law School.

4. Who Are Jamie Metzl’s Parents?

Jamie Metzl’s parents are Kurt Metzl and Marilyn Metzl. His mother and father are both doctors, according to a 2003 article about his family. His father was a pediatrician and his mother was a clinical psychologist. Metzl has three brothers, Jonathan, Jordan and Josh.

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5. Is Jamie Metzl Married?

Jamie Metzl is not married. Metzl told The Huffington Post in 2014, “Someday I’m going to get married, and I recognize the value of getting married, particularly because I think it’s one way among many of having kids. But having said that, I’ve lived this life, doing my own thing, going my own way, traveling around the world. And I feel — maybe it’s a false dichotomy and some friends say that it is — there’s a bit of a tension between this Emersonian self-reliant life that I’ve led and the constant presence in a place that may be required for kids and those other things.”

6. Is Jamie Metzl a Democrat or a Republican?

GettyJamie Metzl in 2003.

Jamie Metzl is a Democrat. He has worked with Democratic politicians and has run for office as a Democrat. Before former President Donald Trump was inaugurated in 2017, Metzl wrote on his website about his thoughts on the transition from former President Barack Obama to Trump:

I am a Democrat who has served in the US National Security Council, State Department, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I have many close friends who are Republican who’ve been involved with foreign policy and national security for years. We’ve worked closely together and share many perspectives about what it takes to promote America’s interests and help maintain peace and security globally. Most of these people signed on to never Trump petitions and are now sidelined. From a national security perspective, this transition doesn’t seem like it’s from Democrats to Republicans but rather from the D/R “establishment” to some type of unknown new thing. Very many of the people going into the Trump administration on national security are relative unknowns with very little relevant experience. Most of the slots are as still unfilled and so the Obama people leaving tomorrow have no one to brief on the Trump side. This is by far the most dangerous transition in modern American history, and the Trump national security team is by far the least experienced in modern American history.

Metzl added, “I still believe in America and our ability to course correct over time, but one day before the inauguration, I feel the monsters rising. I truly hope I am being histrionic. I fear I am not.”

7. What Organizations Does Jamie Metzl Work With?

Jamie Metzl has worked with numerous organizations during his career. He is currently a senior fellow for the Atlantic Council and the founder and chair of One Shared World, according to his LinkedIn profile. Metzl was also a partner at Cranemere LLC, a global investment holding company from 2012 to 2015 and was the executive vice president of the Asia Society from 2005 to 2011.

8. What Did Jamie Metzl Do While Working in the Clinton Administration?

Metzl served in the Clinton administration in numerous roles, according to his website. Metzl was director for multilateral and humanitarian affairs for the National Security Council, senior advisor to the undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs and information technology in the U.S. Department of State and senior coordinator for international public information.

9. Did Jamie Metzl Work for President Joe Biden?

GettyJamie Metzl in 2003 with former Senator Warren Rudman.

Jamie Metzl worked for now-President Joe Biden when Biden was serving in the U.S. Senate representing Delaware. Metzl served as the deputy staff director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which Biden was the chairman of. Metzl tweeted in February 2021, “I used to work for
@JoeBiden. He is a man of tremendous integrity, wisdom, & judgment.”

After Biden was elected as president in November 2020, Metzl tweeted, “The #BidenHarris victory is our opportunity to begin stitching our country back together. If you supported @JoeBiden, please reach out to a @realDonaldTrump supporter & ask them to share their thoughts & concerns. Let’s build a better #America by listening & respecting each other.”

10. What Books Has Jamie Metzl Written?

Metzl has published five books, including non-fiction books and fictional science-fiction novels. According to his website, Metzl has written books titled, Hacking Darwin: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Humanity and Western Responses to Human Rights Abuses in Cambodia, 1975-80. He has also written three sci-fi novels, titled, Eternal Sonata, Genesis Code and The Depths of The Sea.

11. What Does Jamie Metzl Think About the Origins of COVID-19?

Jamie Metzl has said since early 2020, “the most likely starting point of the coronavirus crisis is an accidental leak from one of the Chinese virology institutes in Wuhan,” according to his website. Metzl wrote, “We owe everyone who has died from COVID-19, all the people who have lost their loved ones and livelihoods, and future generations a thorough, unbiased, and unrestricted investigation of how the tragedy began and has unfolded.”

12. Has Jamie Metzl Run for Political Office?

Jamie Metzl ran for Congress as a Democrat in 2004, according to RollCall. Metzl ran for the Democratic nomination for the 5th Congressional District in Missouri. He lost the race to Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, who was then the mayor of Kansas City and continues to represent the district now.

13. How Many Times Has Jamie Metzl Been on Joe Rogan’s Podcast?

Jamie Metzl has been a guest on Joe Rogan’s podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience, twice. He appeared on the podcast on its episode #1294 on May 8, 2019. He appeared on the podcast again on March 9, 2021, as Rogan’s guest for episode #1616. During that episode, Rogan and Metzl talked extensively about the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and China.

14. Is Jamie Metzl a WHO Adviser?

Jamie Metzl is a WHO adviser. According to his website, Metzl has been an expert adviser for the World Health Organization’s advisory committee on global standards for the governance and oversight of human genome editing.

15. What Does Jamie Metzl’s Organization OneShared.World Do?

Jamie Metzl is the founder of the organization OneShared.World. According to its website, “We are a broad and inclusive movement of stakeholders working collaboratively across diverse cultures, communities, ethnicities, organizations, entities, interests, generations, and nations to ensure a better future for humankind and the sustainability of our collective home.”

16. What Topics Does Jamie Metzl Specialize In?

Jamie Metzl specializes in writing, speaking and advising on numerous topics including China, North Korea and Asia, technology and healthcare futurism, science, global affairs and genetic engineering, according to GDA Speakers.

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17. What Does Jamie Metzl Think About Genetics & the Future of Humanity?

Jamie Metzl has written extensively about genetics and the future of humanity. He wrote in his book, according to NPR, “From this point onward, our mutation will not be random. It will be self-designed. From this point onward, our selection will not be natural. It will be self-directed.”

18. What Is Jamie Metzl’s Book ‘Hacking Darwin’ About?

Jamie Metzl’s book, Hacking Darwin, according to his publisher, is “s a groundbreaking exploration of the many ways genetic-engineering is shaking the core foundations of our lives ― sex, war, love, and death. At the dawn of the genetics revolution, our DNA is becoming as readable, writable, and hackable as our information technology. But as humanity starts retooling our own genetic code, the choices we make today will be the difference between realizing breathtaking advances in human well-being and descending into a dangerous and potentially deadly genetic arms race.”

The publisher adds, “Enter the laboratories where scientists are turning science fiction into reality. Look towards a future where our deepest beliefs, morals, religions, and politics are challenged like never before and the very essence of what it means to be human is at play. When we can engineer our future children, massively extend our lifespans, build life from scratch, and recreate the plant and animal world, should we? Passionate, provocative, and highly illuminating, Hacking Darwin is the must read book about the future of our species.”

19. Is Jamie Metzl a CNN Contributor?

Jamie Metzl is not a CNN contributor or a contributor to an media organization. But Metzl has made numerous TV appearances as a guest, including on CNN. He has also appeared as an expert guest on Fox News, Bloomberg and the BBC.

20. Why Does Jamie Metzl Eat a Lot of Chocolate?

Jamie Metzl told Joe Rogan that he is a big fan of chocolate and eats it often. He told Rogan, “I’m a legitimate chocolate fiend. Every single morning I have hot chocolate, it takes about 45 minutes of preparation time, it has about four different ingredients. … It’s probably some kind of morning ritual, it’s very calming to me. … It brings me joy, I feel like everyone should start the day with joy.” Metzl added, “Dark chocolate especially has all kinds of very positive health benefits, I’m not saying that everyone should just eat chocolate bars every day and you’re going to live forever.”

21. Is Jamie Metzl Available for Public Speaking Appearances?

Jamie Metzl is available as a public speaker. According to his website, “Jamie delivers energizing, informative, and actionable keynotes that blow people’s minds and drive meaningful outcomes worldwide. An innovative speaker, author of five important books, media commentator, international columnist, ultramarathoner, and go-to expert for many of the world’s top brands and most influential leaders, Jamie explores the implications of the revolutionary technologies and geopolitical shifts transforming our world and helps individuals, companies, and governments ride the wave of radical change rather than be subsumed by it.”

22. Where Does Jamie Metzl Work?

Jamie Metzl works as the founder and chair of OneShared.World, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also is a senior fellow for the Atlantic Council. According to his LinkedIn, his role at the Atlantic Council is as an, “Expert on Asia, International Affairs, and the big-picture implications of revolutionary technologies, particularly genomics. Raising funds to hold a species-wide dialogue on the future of human genetic engineering.”

23. How Many Marathons, Triathlons & Ironman Races Has Jamie Metzl Completed?

Jamie Metzl has completed numerous marathons, triathlons and ironman races. According to IntellectInterviews.com, Metzl has completed at least 30 marathons, 15 ultramarathons and 13 Ironman triathlons.

24. What Letter Did Jamie Metzl Co-Author About the Origins of the COVID-19 Coronavirus?

Jamie Metzl co-authored a February 2021 letter about the origins of the COVID-19 coronavirus and the importance of a full investigation into how it first spread. The open letter can be read on his website.

25. What Makes Jamie Metzl Worried About the Future?

Jamie Metzl talked to Joe Rogan in May 2019 about what makes him nervous about the future. Metzl told Rogan there are “three big areas” that worry him. Metzl said, “we are messing, or we have the tools to mess, and will mess, with these really complex ecosystems that we don’t fully understand, so that’s number one. Two … the issue of equity. What happens if a group of people move much more quickly than other people? You can imagine big, dangerous societal changes. And the third area is diversity. … In Darwinian terms, diversity is random mutation, that is our core survival strategy as a species.”

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