Breaking the Code: Good for the Human Race?
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Thanks to the genius of biochemists such as Jennifer Doudna, who’s credited with the co-discovery of CRISPR, our biggest scientific advances in the near future may easily come by way of the genome-editing technology. CRISPR enables scientists to change or remove genes quickly, with a precision only dreamed of just a few years ago. But just how far are we willing to go to edit our gene pool? Damning disease is one thing. But what about designing for intelligence? Beauty? Height? The power to pick and choose traits sends us down a slippery ethical slope. Noted author and University Professor of History at Tulane Walter Isaacson discusses his latest dive into the often dramatic subject of innovation with Susan Goldberg, editor in chief of National Geographic.
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