What If…

I can’t remember the last time I had a good ‘What If‘ conversation.

You know the kind I’m talking about… the kind that’s purely hypothetical and hardly of any value.

The kind that’s just, well, fun.

I think it’s time for one of those.

Making Super Humans

What if genetic engineering actually can do what people say it can? What if it really can be used to make a ‘better human being’?

Here’s what I see happening:

Let’s say we start having designer babies, and not only designer babies, but also and more broadly, designer people. Let’s say you can hand-pick the color of your hair, skin, eyes, maybe even your blood. And let’s say you can change it at any time.

Well, not everyone is going to buy into this. And I’d argue that, unlike all other tech innovations, this could very well be the first time where we see a major cultural division based strictly on technology.

Think about how big a division like that could become…

If genetic engineering can essentially create ‘super humans‘, and one group of people refuses it, then you now have what could very easily become not just two separate groups, but two totally separate species.

Your turn.

What if genetic engineering really can make a ‘better human being’?

*Photo Credit: Andres Nieto Porras (Creative Commons)

This week’s topic (also known as the Weekly Curiosity) is genetic engineering. Check back each weekday at 12:34pm for a new post exploring this idea. In the meantime, here are three ways you can join the quest:

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