Aesthetically Designed Dystopia
“I never saw no miracle of science that did not go from a blessing to a curse.”
Curiosity enables you with the ability to turn thought into fruition. If you are curious enough to question the simplest things around you, then you may have a scientific mind even if you are not working in a lab. But what happens when you end up asking questions that result in controversy? What happens when curiosity causes one to do things that some may deem inhumane? Unlike the sci-fi movies where robots take over the world, we have something at hand which is more alarming and real than the terminator.
Designer babies. The rich have much money to spend on luxury but soon some will have the option to spend it on ridding their babies of genetic diseases or other issues. How is this even possible? CRISPR technology.
Our body consists of genes made up of DNA, each one has a specific sequence of nucleotides that code for a specific sequence of amino acids in proteins. Confusing, right? Alright, so let’s simplify this — picture a building, each component of a building has a purpose, place, and a shape. A building has bricks, pillars, a foundation, and a roof along with several other components: the basic layout of these components is given in the blueprint. Think of genes as a blueprint and those other components as proteins. The way these proteins will be made, their shape and their function is all determined by our genes.
However, every so often, you see a building collapse, it can be due to internal or external factors and at the end of the day, we take every possible measure to stop that from happening.
Similarly, there may be an error in the genes of a fetus that may lead to the production of a faulty protein or the inhibition of a useful protein/the malfunctioning of a protein. For example, what if you, as a parent, discover that your child has genes for albinism, or Parkinson’s disease, or breast cancer; wouldn’t you take every possible measure to rid your child of it? This technology, at its face-value, is a blessing to us. It is relatively easier, cheaper, and faster than other genetic technologies. It will keep the new generation from falling prey to hereditary disorders, but not everything is as simple as it looks. In fact, if this technology were to be used then it may cause a stir of agony amongst all traditionalists. The ethical dilemma here is that we might end up creating a whole new generation of genetically modified humans. Later in life, these genetically modified children will procreate, eventually passing on these edited genes to their children. It will start with genetic diseases, but it cannot be completely denied that people will want their children to become athletic, beautiful, and intelligent. This goes against not only some communities’ religious beliefs, but also the way we live our lives. This has not yet become a mainstream topic of discussion but when it will, our laws will be questioned because as of now countries like the USA and China have no stringent restrictions on genetic technology.
On the one hand, this technology saves families from the great misery of potentially losing their children. On the other hand, continued acceptance of deliberate genetic variations within us will also lead to lack of biodiversity which is extremely essential for the survival of our species. A family can be saved from the financial expenditure of merely trying to save their child from a premature death, but making changes even before the birth of their child is equivalent to playing God. Our imperfections make us who we are, they add substance to our personalities and make us unique. It is important that we allow each individual to be themselves and face their challenges in their own unique way. If we allow this technology to continue then at least restrictions should be put in place to prevent wealthy families from altering generations.