Just last week, a sheep was born in Scotland. A fairly anticlimactic event normally, but this was no ordi- nary sheep. This is the first ever clone of an adult mammal and it has fueled the debate about the ethics of genetic research. The newest issue of Time magazine has a picture of "Dolly," possibly the most historic barnyard animal ever, but here at FHS my guess is that few people outside of the biology classes have heard of this miracle of modern technology, and that fewer still even care. Maybe we should care a little. The biggest question raised by this event is, "If we can clone a sheep, then why not a human being?" Imagine the possibilities. Could the world possibly survive with two Dennis Rodmans? How about three? How about a whole Dennis Rodman Dream Team?
That day is a long way off, even though cloning has been going on for some time now. There have been some major advances in the field of genetic research. For example, gathering insulin for use by diabetics was previously a very expensive undertaking involving human tissue, but thanks to DNA transplanting in bacteria, collecting insulin is now relatively inexpensive. More short term advances in genetic research look to improve our lives. Genetically engineered microbes can break down an oil spill quickly with no harmful side effects. For those of you who have ever been to Butte, the technology exist to make microbes that could concentrate all those fun heavy metals floating around in the Berkely Pit and make it possible for them to be collected. Farmers could replicate their most efficient crops so they could be more productive and wouldn't have to use as much land for cultivation, or they could replicate their best milk-producing cow. The most promising field of genetic research is disease treatment and prevention. As we learn more about genetics, the possibilities surface for cancer treatments without harmful side-effects and eliminating devastating genetic illnesses like cystic fibrosis or Huntington's Disease. A new dawn for the medical field seems to be just over the horizon.
One of the biggest objections to tampering with the basis of life is that it's "playing God." The realm of God is an ambiguous proposition at best, and it's important to remember that Galileo was sentenced to a lifetime of house arrest for challenging the "realm of God" by saying the Earth orbited around the sun.
Given all the possible benefits to humanity as a whole, maybe we could live with two Dennis Rodmans. It would seem we are left with two choices: we can continue to learn, explore and discover or we can pull the covers up over our heads and take comfort in our ignorance.