It's all in the genes!

   A short time ago I wrote a piece about speculation that genetic engineering of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito may have brought about a change in the Zika virus that is responsible for the virus's ability to cause microcephaly.  Speculation is just that, nevertheless the very fact that such changes are possible, makes consideration of the science fascinating.  CRISP-Cas9.  This allows scientists to snip a piece of DNA and replace it with a different piece.  This type of targeting is in its infancy but the technique is there and will become more precise very quickly. CRISPR stands for "clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats."  It is the quality of some bacterial DNA that enables them to create RNA, a single strand version of DNA, that seeks out DNA that matches its series of bases   The bacteria then sends a protein called 'Cas9' to attack the marked DNA.  The Cas9 can also be used to destroy and replace the targeted DNA with something better.
   The science is pretty difficult for folks without a science background and for some, like myself, who do.  A nice youtube diagrammatic explanation is worth looking at.    'CRISPR/Cas9 -how it works.'

    At my stage in the game, my interest is more philosophical than scientific.  I have no doubt that the science will be mastered, that's only a matter of time.  The potential for good is as limitless as the potential for disaster.  The very nature of the human race may be radically altered.  Genetic interference may have outcomes that we cannot as yet imagine.   There will be major ethical issues to deal with in the use of these techniques to breed super humans with perceived advantageous traits.  Both physical and mental advantages may be for sale in the future.  In any event and for many reasons, we all need to  be informed about what is going on in the area of genetics.   A new semi-human species may be just around the corner.

Let me know if you think it's time to engineer a new human race!