As a student majoring in public health, the talk with Shiv was particularly intriguing to me. I actually have been exposed to the world of genetic engineering in high school for biology class and have engaged in several debates on the topic. However, the talk really compelled me to get in touch with this topic again for its implications on the global population in the very near future.

In all honesty, I used to thin CRISPR was some sort of microscopic tool – a pair of scissors perhaps – that can cut and hence alter sections of DNA to your wish. However, it is only now that I understand that it is only the name of a family of repeated DNA sequence and that we have discovered its wonderful ability to help us edit our genes. I found out through the internet that by the beginning of this year, 86 people in China has reported having their genes edited using this technique! That is really crazy to think about how the tiny teeny genes in your cells can be edited and offer you endless possibilities to change your life!

As I have been familiar with the three-parent baby technology, it was interesting for me to look at people’s reaction when they first heard about this breakthrough. It is definitely not something people would think about when I said that the mother actually contributes much more to the fetus than the father: except for half of your genes, you inherited everything else in your body from your mother. This leads to unhealthy babies being born when the powerhouse of the cell – the mitochondria – from the mother is faulty, leading to some babies needing two mothers instead of one to help them have a healthy life. To me, it secretly made me happy and proud of being a woman and our ability to give life.

However, all technologies and attempts to alter the natural world hold great moral and ethical implications and genetic engineering is really high on the list of debatable technology. Are we playing God? Are parents breaching the rights of their unborn babies when they decide their genetic make-up? Will we widen the differences between different socio-economic classes too much when only rich people would be able to make themselves healthier, smarter and eventually, richer? I have no certain answers for them, but it is crucial to ask these questions as we strive to embrace these wonderful technologies without causing harm to the society.