Directed Evolution
for Levi
Observing the current progress of science in manipulating genes in plants and animals, I believe humans will be genetically manipulating their genes as well. I see great advantages in this endeavor. Disease could be eliminated. There would be no more birth defects. Humans could increase there productivity to amazing rates. Fishermen could be given gills so that they would never have to fear drowning. Construction workers could be given amazing strength to increase their productivity. Think of all the churches that could be built. People could be engineered so that they could digest cellulose—allowing them to digest plant fibers. Hunger as we know it would be eliminated.
The only problem with all these advances is that we have no idea of the actual consequences. With gills people could live in the ocean. What would this do to the ecosystem? Being able to digest cellulose would put us in direct competition with all of the world’s herbivores. Would we kill all of them so that we could feed ourselves?
Humans will be the first creatures to be able to direct there evolution. Our evolution will no longer be a response to the environment and progress rapidly. Humanity will be able unravel Earth’s ecological networks. I do not think it is wise for humans to take that path. Genetic manipulation should be limited to curing disease. Anything further may be too much of a gamble to take and the consequences often cannot be seen in advance.
-Levi Price
for Levi
Observing the current progress of science in manipulating genes in plants and animals, I believe humans will be genetically manipulating their genes as well. I see great advantages in this endeavor. Disease could be eliminated. There would be no more birth defects. Humans could increase there productivity to amazing rates. Fishermen could be given gills so that they would never have to fear drowning. Construction workers could be given amazing strength to increase their productivity. Think of all the churches that could be built. People could be engineered so that they could digest cellulose—allowing them to digest plant fibers. Hunger as we know it would be eliminated.
The only problem with all these advances is that we have no idea of the actual consequences. With gills people could live in the ocean. What would this do to the ecosystem? Being able to digest cellulose would put us in direct competition with all of the world’s herbivores. Would we kill all of them so that we could feed ourselves?
Humans will be the first creatures to be able to direct there evolution. Our evolution will no longer be a response to the environment and progress rapidly. Humanity will be able unravel Earth’s ecological networks. I do not think it is wise for humans to take that path. Genetic manipulation should be limited to curing disease. Anything further may be too much of a gamble to take and the consequences often cannot be seen in advance.
-Levi Price
posted by randy jensen at 11:24 AM
1 Comments:
What if the ability to genetically manipulate genes is part of human evolution? From an evolutionist point of view, humans have evolved to be vastly more intelligent than any other species on the planet, this intelligence is a product of evolution then. Would the "all knowing" powers of evolution allow us to further evolve using genetic manipulation or some how "know" (again with the sentiant evolution) that the path of genetic manipulation is wrong, and would then stop humanities efforts? Would the earths environment undergo great changes if as Levi said: "humans with gills moved into the ocean?" or would the earth that has survived millions of years of change find a way to adapt. As Ian Malcolm said in Jurrassic Park: "Life will find a way."
By the way, I dont really believe much of what I was talking about, it was stricly questions, and most likely complete nonsense...
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