We Risk Programming Inequality into Our DNA
Found on Motherboard on Wednesday, 07 September 2016
Scientists are pioneering the ability to tweak our DNA to wipe out disease and maybe even allow us to choose desirable traits in our unborn children, like height or intelligence. None of these technologies have moved out of the lab, but Americans are already uncomfortable with them.
But to me, the more important point raised was the concern that technological enhancements could lead to greater inequality—that the rich could pay to live longer, healthier lives, and the poor couldn’t.
Inequality won't be the major problem. Celebrating 50 years of Star Trek, it might be worth pointing out that the Augments already made their appearance, and the results of the genetic engineering were not pretty: they lead to the Eugenics Wars. Even if you say it's just science fiction, a lot of that fiction became reality; and as soon as this engineering will work reliably, the military will show great interest. Or more likely, it already does.