Genetic enhancement is a very controversial subject but one that has been of interest for quite some time now. Strong opinions were raised again recently with the advent if the CRISPR-cas9 gene editing tool. China is still very much on board with genetic enhancements and is not afraid to say so, but the rest of the world still have their reservations. However, if China does decide to go ahead with the idea of allowing genetic enhancement, then what will happen to the rest of the world?
As previously mentioned, not everyone agrees with the possibility on genetic enhancements and in a recent survey carried out in the USA, out of the 4,726 Americans asked, more than half would not want to use a brain chip to improve their memory. And this only one aspect of it. What about the possibilities of enhancing looks, or a persons’ athletic ability? Opposition to genetic enhancement is found in many countries besides the U.S.A., including Germany and the U.K. People are worried about safety issues, and that scientist would be seen as “playing God” in tampering with nature.
Although many people accept that genetic enhancement could be useful for people with severe medical disabilities, the consensus is that it should not be allowed. But, what happens if China does start allowing genetic enhancements for looks, brains, or athletic ability? Will the rest of the world then get left behind and be inferior to the Chinese? Because China has been focusing on the idea of genetic enhancements for quite some time now, they are strides ahead of the rest of the world in this field, and it was the Chinese government that funded the use of the CRISPR-cas9 first to edit the genes of human embryos.
Some positives could come from using genetic enhancements in humans, but it would need to be controlled and monitored extremely closely. Apart from the obvious medical advantages, genetic enhancements could also reduce crime rates as some genes may have an effect on violent behaviors. Some of these theories are still speculative but as more time and research is spent the closer it becomes to reality. It may not be long before these genetic enhancements do come to our world, with China leading the way. But for now, we will just have to wait and see.
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