Look, here’s a picture of a tiger: A century ago there were about 100,000 of these guys in the wild. Today, that number has dropped more than 95%, meaning tigers might soon be gone forever! And there are thousands of other species in peril too (some estimates range as high as 30% of all species on … Continue reading
Tag Archives: genetic engineering
5 Reasons Genetic Enhancement is Dangerous (and One Reason to Do It Anyway)
The other night, I spent an enjoyable hour watching Gattaca, a 1997 sci-fi film I haven’t seen in probably ten years. Not all of it aged well: Ethan Hawke’s dialogue is cornier than I remember, and it has one of the silliest love scenes ever committed to film. But the core conceit remains compelling: a … Continue reading
Bad Genes? Hack Them With Virus Therapy
Let’s admit one thing up front: genetic mutations are a good thing! They’re evolution’s way of experimenting, so we should thank them for bringing forth lobster claws, orchid petals, and human brains. In fact, without mutations, life on earth would have died out as soon as the environment changed in any way. But from a … Continue reading