Gene Editing: The Perfect Human
What is the perfect human? Tall, strong, immune to disease and with a flawless set of pearly whites. Intelligent and creative, with a mild temperament and exceptionally good hair, the world will be a better place when this superior form of human becomes the norm. Well, it's a Hollywood fantasy - but for how long? Gene editing lets scientists change DNA. Since DNA is the code for everything that makes up living creatures, being able to manipulate it gives scientists incredible power. The whole idea of editing genes began in the early 1900s but it is only now that we are benefiting from the more than 100 years of research and experimentation. Modern gene editing removes or changes genes to prevent and cure diseases. This is an extraordinary step forward. But the ethical and moral questions are numerous. For instance: Is it moral to edit the genes of an embryo without its permission? Is the parents' permission enough? Gene therapy is expensive and so only the wealthy will ha