Scientists are weird.
If you can't read what's written above, Francis Collins, (who was racing Craig Ventor in the summer of 2000, if you recall), thinks that the human genome project will soon be going GATTACA up in this piece. Thanks, Francis. Maybe go see the movie before you open your mouth next time. But wait:
What if he's correct?
What if, yes, there are several intangible Allahu a'lam factors that comprise human existence, but many of them - even the most seemingly Allahu a'lam of them all - are accessible to human discovery? Putting aside the obvious worries of genetic discrimination and profiling, I'm just saying/asking: is it possible that there are (or, what's wrong with there being) distinct segments of base-pairs that can be shown to produce complex experiential phenotypes (like intelligence, or 'behavior?') It's obvious that we're not going to discover such things without God's permission, anyway, so what's there to stress about?*
I think I don't mind if someone finds a gene, or combination of genes, or a reliably predictable combination of gene/environment interaction that yields a certain phenotypic result in an average person; I do mind if I become anchored to a genetic profile, though...
I have an opinion as to whether or not Collins' comments will find fruition - that's what the asterisk is for, but I'm not sharing right now.
In any case, I do think it's gonna go GATTACA up in this piece and genotyping will eventually be nothing more than a modern replacement societal prejudices.
More to come later on Peter Singer, the Kirby Puckett memorial, and rose-colored Islamic history glasses, insha`Allah.
posted by Wanksta at 9:56 PM
2 Comments:
There is some major insight to genotherapy in the future by looking at what Collins said. We can eradicate dieases such as Hutchinson's. Wouldn't it be haram to change the genetics of something, though?
Also, my favorite thing about this post is "the human genome project will soon be going GATTACA up in this piece". LOL! Only you can say that, Taqee.
Ayah! True - there is much to be gained from genetic fiddling, I'm sure. Although the haram-ness question is a huge one that may not be too easy to answer. Is not the next stage of medicine to go from treating the symptoms of genetic disease to that of treating the source...?
Maybe not...maybe we can do everything to alleviate from the outside, but not the inside. I don't know what kinds of textual proofs someone could use to negate gene therapies...Mus'ab - any comments?
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