11 January, 2012

Unnatural selection: Is evolving reproductive technology ushering in a new age of eugenics? - The Globe and Mail

Unnatural selection: Is evolving reproductive technology ushering in a new age of eugenics? - The Globe and Mail: That ability is now morphing into a whole new approach to baby-making, one that gives people an unprecedented power to preview, and pick, the genetic traits of their prospective children.

Just as Paracelsus wrote that his recipe worked best if done in secret, modern science is quietly handing humanity something the quirky Renaissance scholar could only imagine: the capacity to harness our own evolution. We now have the potential to banish the genes that kill us, that make us susceptible to cancer, heart disease, depression, addictions and obesity, and to select those that may make us healthier, stronger, more intelligent.

The question is, should we?