A Brave New World

Over the years scientists have been working diligently to unlock the secrets of human genes. They have already discovered thousands of genes related to physical biology and appearance. Recently, scientists discovered that there are over 1,000 genes affecting human intelligence alone. They do not have the puzzle solved. They do not even have all the pieces. What they do have is the awareness that human intelligence is at least in part the product of genetic make up. They also have the determination to solve that puzzle.

It has been learned that the relationship between genes and intelligence is a complicated one. The hundreds, if not thousands of genes that affect human intelligence work in a complex fashion that will take a great deal of time and effort to unravel. Nevertheless, the field has been advancing steadily over the years and optimism is high. Researchers are enthusiastic about the future. As scientific method improves and data accumulates more and more of human biology will become comprehensible to scientists. That comprehension will eventually lead to knowledge. Knowledge will inevitably lead to manipulation, and therein lies the problem.

While the field has been heralded, and rightly so, for the promise it holds in improving the lives of people suffering from genetic disorders, it also has a dark side. Genetic testing has the potential to evolve into a method for manipulating the appearance, aptitude, and abilities of human beings, if only through selection. If intelligence can be determined before birth, who will settle for a child of average intelligence, let alone low intelligence? I suspect few parents, certainly those who could afford genetic testing, would be satisfied with a child of modest height, a precarious genetic make up, or with a tilt towards obesity if they get the choice.

If my concerns seem overly dramatic, I would like to point out another development in the news. A new blood test has been developed that allows the sex of a child to be determined as early as seven weeks into gestation. That discovery was also heralded as great progress. According to a recent report in the Dallas Morning News the test will "lead to to more widespread use by parents concerned about gender-linked diseases and those who are merely curious, as well as people considering the more ethically controversial step of selecting the sex of their child." Such a test would be eagerly welcomed in places like China where parents have a keen interest in the gender of their child.

We are now able to determine the sex of developing child. We have already developed tests that can identify genetic and physical disorders and will soon be able to know much more. We are on the thresh hold of identifying physical and intellectual potential before birth. If we can get a handle on manipulating genes a whole new horizon will open up: it could someday be possible to design people.

If physiological characteristics can be discerned before birth, who would embrace a handicapped child or a child of low physical potential? What parents aspire to have average children? If intelligence can be determined before birth, who would choose to have a child of substandard intellect? Chances are no one would. But if the day comes where selection is possible, will we have a society, perhaps even a world, populated by smart and physically adept human beings? If that day comes, who will work in the factories? Who will harvest our crops? Who will pave our roads? We cannot have a society made up exclusively of Alphas. We will need Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons too. (Well, maybe not Epsilons. That is what immigration is for.) Fortunately, genetic screening will likely be expensive and beyond the reach of most people, genetic engineering even more so. That should ensure a steady supply of workers and provide a supporting cast.

If my concerns seem exaggerated I suggest one look to China where biological selection is already at work. For some time, the image of "1984" has haunted our society. Now we have "A Brave New World" to consider. The new discoveries in genetics will not allow us to design people, at least not yet, but it will give us an ability to genetically screen people before they are born. We may not be able to design the people we want any time soon but we will have taken a significant step towards being able to identify the people we don't want. When you think about it, that is almost the same thing.