While eating dinner, I listened to GRF Shiv speak about the current state of genetic engineering and the implications of technological and scientific advancements in this field. We covered topics like CRISPR, three parent babies, growing and harvesting human organs in pigs, and cocaine immunity. Thinking about the immense potential of genetic engineering, I found these discussed advancements to be intellectually stimulating and surprising. Although research is still in its preliminary stages and genetic engineering certainly cannot be used for commercial purposes yet, the ideas sounded very promising. At the same time, these ideas made me fearful and skeptical for the future.

I considered the ethical dilemmas surrounding genetic engineering. Specifically, I thought about the possible problems associated with genetically modified organisms. It is undeniably true that genetic engineering offers a wide range of life-changing benefits. For example, Shiv mentioned that scientists recently genetically modified a mouse to be immune to cocaine addiction. If probed further, this research may one day be applied to humans and lead to the development of treatments for drug addictions. Also, CRISPR, which stands for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats of genetic information, are specific patterns of DNA sequences that can be edited. CRISPR can be manipulated to modify, delete, or correct genetic abnormalities. The possibilities of CRISPR are seemingly endless because it can be used to target crippling diseases at the source and eliminate or reduce one’s chances of getting them. For example, as evidence increasingly suggests that Alzheimer’s disease is tied to genetics, medical scientists could harness CRISPR to remove or edit the specific gene sequence that causes the disease.

However, history suggests that technological and scientific breakthroughs can often be manipulated in the wrong ways to harm society. I thought about my high school biology teacher and her daughter who struggled with a mental disability. She would passionately talk about her stance against using genetic engineering to modify abnormalities and “fix” humans. While I acknowledge that genetically engineering humans can save millions of people from pain, I firmly believe that it should never be used to alter personal characteristics like the color of one’s eyes or hair. Likewise, parents should not be able to increase their chances of giving birth to a child who possesses greater intellectual or athletic ability. With this in mind, human society must set clear boundaries regarding genetic engineering to avoid creating an intolerant world populated by “ideal” humans.