The Occasional Perspective - 2/6/24
Opinions and Reflections
Our Ongoing Evolution – I was driving back from Boston recently when I was cogitating about an article I had read in the January 20-26, 2024 issue of New Scientist, a weekly publication on “all things science”. There was this very interesting article on efforts at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing to clone rhesus monkeys. As you may recall, Dolly – the sheep – was the first announced cloning of a mammalian species in 1996. Subsequently, there have been many efforts in laboratories around the world. In fact, there’s a team in South Korea that has evidently cloned more than 1500 dogs although with a relatively low 4% success rate. When they heard this, my two pups – Toto = (Toren Torme) (age 9) and Lole (= Locklein Leigh) (age 6) expressed some minor degree of concern and but quickly let me know that they wanted to go for a walk…
As for the monkeys, the research started in 1999 with the first success reported in 2022 but the cloned monkey soon died. More recently – through a whole series of refinements in the process – the researchers have been successful in closing a live monkey from “fetal” cells but cloning from “adult” cells has not yet worked (Whew!!). So, are we on the cusp of creating genetic duplicates of ourselves? Not yet, say the scientists. However, when I got home, I read then an article on the use of CRISPR by Vertex Pharmaceutical which has become the first entity to receive regulatory approval in both the US and UK for treating sickle cell anemia – a devastating, genetic disease. So, it appears that we are on the cusp of treating a range of genetic (for beginners) diseases using CRISPR technology for snipping bad genes out and replacing them with good genes to solve a problem.
As I pondered these two developments, it occurred to me that we are on the cusp (not immediate) of potentially developing technology for altering the evolution of our species. The Neanderthal-Sapiens divergence occurred about 650,000 years ago with Neanderthal’s dying out due to their inability to effectively compete. While some of us have some residual Neanderthal genes, the bulk of the human race today is comprised of Homo Sapiens (“Wise Man”) genes. So, the question that evolved in my brain was: What if through genetic manipulation, scientists were able to alter the genetic code of Homo Sapiens to create Novus Sapiens or, “New Man.” Despite all of the assurances by existing scientists that such a move would be “…completely unacceptable…” I strongly suspect – given my knowledge of the human race – that somewhere, sometime, someone of the Homo Sapiens code will step forward and decide it is “completely acceptable”. Hmmm. And, we will go from 650,000 years for the completion of the evolutionary cycle of Homo Sapiens to Novus Sapiens in perhaps a couple of decades. The good part is that I will not be around to try and make it work…
What do you think? Am I simply becoming paranoid? Or rather, senile?
The State of the State – A new report from the Brennan Center for Justice was recently released describing the intimidation – both direct through in-your-face assaults and indirect through online-and-virtual threats – occurring with USA public officials. It is fostering fear and anxiety among those who we have brought on board to manage all of our governmental functions across the board from health care to transportation to enforcement…pick your favorite area!! As a result, the report reveals it is making these leaders and officials less likely to participate in public events that are focused on policy changes where blowback is occurring, in making policy changes, or even in running for office. According to the report, 40% of state legislators surveyed reported being threatened or attacked in the last three years. And, just as importantly, 90% reported suffering from intimidation, harassment, stalking and other forms of abusive behavior. And, it runs all the way to the public officials who are staffing our voting booths this coming November with 1 in 5 new to their position. Who is training the trainer? So, where does this type of behavior emanate from and why are we tolerating it? …Hmmmm – let me guess…
