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Conrad: As Greg Bear makes evident in
his novel, Darwin’s Radio, manipulating genes is unnatural. Though just a storyline for a B-class
science fiction novel, the idea of the reawakening of previously
"junk" DNA is something to consider.Â
In the novel, the primary character, portrayed by scientist Kaye, is on
the brink of discovering a retrovirus called SHEVA that has been causing deaths
amongst women in highly populated societies as well as miscarriages. The sudden spread of this disease was found
to have connections to past epidemics, from which the preserved bodies of some
ancient women were found to have had the same symptoms. Inactivity for centuries and then a sudden
explosion of the epidemic led scientists to believe that evolutionary forces
were involved.Â
The “junk” DNA that was awakened during the novel from past
incidences can be compared to the genetic manipulation that we find today or
may find in the future. What are the
possible side effects of such manipulation?Â
As the novel can attest to, awakening certain unexpressed genes to
obtain desired traits in offspring that were not made to be expressed can have
serious side effects. If those
unexpressed genes are unnaturally expressed by human power, then how do we know
that that was not for good reason?Â
Perhaps we can view that manipulation and awakening of genes as an
anachronistic act: Those genes were simply not expressed because the
evolutionary circumstances for which they do not occur do not allow them to do
so. Society is simply incapable of
being able to correctly predict the long-term effects of gene manipulation.
Robert Graham, the Director of the Repository for Germinal Choice
in Escondido, California, believes that we owe it to future generations to try
and maximize the genetic endowment of at least some of its yet-to-be-born
members by carefully selecting which genes we pass along from us to them
(Vancourt).Â
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