A Robust International Discussion

Earlier this week, scientists called for a ‘global moratorium’ on creating genetically modified babies.

This, of course, is in contrast to the traditional way of mixing genes together, which I assume they still heartily endorse.

The problem is that the same technology developed to prevent congenital diseases could be used to create kids with made-to-order attributes, otherwise called “designer babies.” Recently, A lone Chinese researcher ignored a voluntary consensus that experiments on real world-be babies would be unethical, so 18 leading scientists in 7 countries called for a formalized pause, including two of the experts who created the tech.

They proposed that individual governments should declare that they won’t allow use of human gene editing in embryos for the next five years, after which a two year consideration period would be used for what they call “robust international discussion about the pros and cons of doing so.”

In other words, we’re doomed.

This happens with pretty much every technological innovation. Technical, scientific, medical, social, ethical, and moral concerns will always fall prey to opportunities to make money and assert power. History tells us as much: when Einstein and his ilk realized the implications their atomic chain reactions might have for making bombs, they wrote President Roosevelt and urged him to build one first.