Well, I'd just about gone to sleep in front of my laptop tonight, when this fascinating article grabbed me and shook me awake! It's an intriguing commentary, from the UK's Times newspaper, which documents new research suggesting our genes are more influenced by environmental factors - or 'nurture' - than we'd previously thought. This means your lifestyle could modify your DNA, affecting you but also future generations. Obviously, this can cut both ways - treat yourself poorly and you (and your kids, and their kids...) could pay the price; but on the other hand, if you treat yourself kindly, this new evidence suggests you could reduce the likelihood of suffering ill health even if you've inherited 'less favourable' DNA, benefitting your future offspring too. There's a lot more research to be done, to discover the extent to which DNA can be modified and what that might mean for humanity - but such advances in knowledge could alter the way we live in profound and potentially very positive ways.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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3 comments:
A (potentially) brilliant breakthrough! If true, it could open the way to gene improvement for altruistics ends, without any of the sinister overtones of eugenics or the selfish undertones of the GM industry.
It could even help people reclaim their likely 'destiny' from those who would use the human gemone project and statistics to tell us what's likely to happen to us. Genes have already been used to predict health, character, life chances and all sorts of other things; this research restores an element of free will into the mix.
... But then, it also forces us to think: what should we wish for...?
Thanks, Diana
Yes, I was thinking the same thing as I read the piece - i.e. that this potentially enables people to take some control of their DNA and information about it, just as others (such as health and life insurance companies) might be seeking to use such information 'against' them.
But, as you imply, there are massive ethical, moral and philosophical implications of such advances too. If we can manipulate our DNA though lifestyle then of course there will be pressure to develop drugs and other mechanisms to manipulate it further - to progressively overcome weak DNA in areas such as intellect, for example, and that has its more sinister side of course. Perhaps this is already happening though? All these drugs that apparently academics and students are taking to improve their brain functioning (including drugs usually prescribed for ADHD) - could they be modifying their DNA and have implications for their children's intellect??
E
Yes, some fascinating questions!
For instance: education is widely accepted as a 'Good Thing', partly because it develops who we are, so we make better decisions. This research (and the drugs you mention) offers a route to very rapid personal development; if it went too fast, would it still be 'us' making the decisions?
Also: we naturally assume people should do what's best for their offspring, indeed anything else is bad parenting. So should potential parents acquire a responsibility to take things to enhance their DNA before they reproduce?
Finally: if we found human guinea pig volunteers prepared to test these environmental DNA changers (eg drugs), including those willing to act as controls in the experiment by abstaining from potential DNA enhancers, would they be presuming the consent of their future children?
And there are lots more - especially, as you say, all the ones about one person or firm's impact on the environment affects innocent others.
Sorry for rambling - too much airport coffee!
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