The Last Underclass:Geneticists divide humanity into two classes and try to eliminate the lesser

As a young veteran of the Bikini Atom bomb tests, Dean Warren attended UCLA, The London School of Economics, and Harvard. While in London, he and two.
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While there are many possibilities, both anticipated and unforeseen, widening the existing gap between socioeconomic classes is a probability. If this technology becomes safe and effective, it will likely be expensive. Thus, available only to the wealthy, who already maintain a space of dominance and privilege. If this class is also afforded better health, and possibly the advantage of genetically enhanced traits like intelligence, social stratification and prejudice will be maximized.

To this end, I will utilize the films Blade Runner and Gattaca, as they each portray a world that includes genetically modified beings. While these films were released over twenty years ago, they are a reflection of the genetic engineering technology and debates of the time.

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The conference resulted in approval for the continued development of the technology with implementation of new safety and containment policies. Then, in , the U. Supreme Court ruled in favor of General Electric utilizing genetically engineered bacteria to assist in the clean up of oil spills. This momentum in the field of genetic engineering, the acceptance and practice, encouraged public speculation as to the eventual application to the human species and became the subject of science fiction film.

Because this discovery positively opens the door to the evolution of the human species. During research on the effects of bacteria on viral infections, Doudna and her team discovered the potential for a relatively simple, yet precise method for editing the human genome. Radiation therapy is used to destroy cancer cells, but it also destroys healthy ones. And viral vectors are used to deliver DNA into target cells, but can target the wrong cells for insertion.

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All of these embryos were discarded, it is unlawful and unethical at this stage of research for implantation, but the very fact that the technology was successfully applied to human embryos, not another species, has resurrected the eugenics debates of the past. The concept of genetically modified human beings is no longer abstract, it is supported by scientific facts that cannot be ignored. The potential for disease prevention is far too great, but other ramifications must be heavily weighed.

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While the science community is focused on the dangers of tampering with the human genome, in regards to unforeseen consequences to the human form, others, both secular and non-secular, are concerned that the practice of DNA modification will ultimately lead to the enhancement of desirable traits. All of these communities have reason for concern as CRISPR establishes germ-line engineering, where alterations are permanent, and passed on to future offspring Regalado.

From a scientific standpoint, this technology could propel humanity into times of greater health and longer life spans, or result in some irreparable DNA mutation that perverts the human form. From a cultural standpoint, if traits like intelligence could someday be enhanced, it could potentially flood the world with an advanced intellect better equipped to solve our current struggles, e. But the concept of enhancing human intelligence merely through the manipulation of DNA is complicated by the nature versus nurture theory.

But the potential to genetically enhance intelligence is fraught with unpredictable complexities. First, multiple genes determine traits like intelligence, making it difficult to target the specific combination needed to achieve the desired result. Next, if this primary issue was eventually resolved, providing the nature for advanced intelligence, the varying environmental factors of nurture make for an unpredictable outcome: This brings us to Gattaca and its argument against future genetic discrimination.

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Amazon Restaurants Food delivery from local restaurants. ComiXology Thousands of Digital Comics. East Dane Designer Men's Fashion. Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands. Social skills, such as communicating and interacting with others, could be lost, along with emotions such as love, sympathy, trust and respect. People would become less able to care for others, or perform in teams. Physically, they would start to appear more juvenile. Chins would recede, as a result of having to chew less on processed food.

There could also be health problems caused by reliance on medicine, resulting in weak immune systems. Preventing deaths would also help to preserve the genetic defects that cause cancer. Multiculturalism is the essence of modern society.

As miscegenation becomes commonplace, humans will slowly begin to lose the distinguishing features of their ethnicity, and instead take on characteristics from many different parts of the world. As humans become more and more dependent upon medication for survival, we can expect the human immune system to slowly weaken.

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The best way to explain this is with an example using hormones: Over time, your body would become dependent upon the additional hormones, to the point where it might stop doing for itself what the supplements can do instead. The processes which create hormones would become less important for survival, since your body would always have enough, thanks to the supplements. After tens of thousands of years, it is likely that humans would evolve to the point where hormones are no longer created organically within their body.

Taking this example a little further: Why would your body need a powerful immune system if all pathogens are tackled with medication? Indeed, it is but another downside to the use of medication to fight diseases. There are two foreseeable causes for the gradual physical weakening of the human race.

The first is our increasing reliance on technology — and in particular machinery — to do our dirty but muscle-enhancing work.

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The less each generation depends on physical strength, the more likely it is that the whole species will grow weaker. The second possible cause for muscle atrophy is a little more awesome, and would become highly relevant if ever we were to relocate into space. In such a scenario, physical strength is hardly necessary for day-to-day activities. Most of us have heard about astronauts returning to earth, a mere husk of their former selves.

Future generations will need to take this into account, lest they find themselves confined to wheelchairs like the morose humans in Wall-E. Human height has been growing rapidly for the last two centuries. Over the last years alone, the average height of the species has increased by 10cm.


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It is believed that the main driving force behind this growth is the abundance of nutrition available to many of us. Famine has long been a curse for those aspiring to tallness — and in certain parts of the world, it has almost been eradicated. The more a child has to eat, the more energy he or she has to grow.