February 2011

At an island laboratory, scientists are experimenting with genetically modified Pokémon. After hard labour and painstaking research, they successfully create Mewtwo, the strongest known Pokemon, from the genes of Mew. But after Mewtwo awakens and realizes his life is a mere experiment, he BLOWS UP the laboratory and escapes the explosion.

Pokémon has made me come to this realization: genetic modification has its ups and downs.

It’s human nature to want to know more, to learn and to experiment. No doubt, we’ll eventually delve into experimenting with ourselves. It’s not surprising to say that the science of genetically modifying humans has been growing over recent years. So much that even questions of genetically modifying our own children have risen.

‘Designer baby’ is a term used for a child whose genetic makeup has been altered.

People might consider genetic modifications as ‘therapy’, or in other words, engineering to alter defective genes. It would mean to treat or even prevent diseases like cardiac diseases, blindness, dwarfism, etc. While screening for life-threatening genetic diseases is a great idea, eventually parents may start to screen for less dangerous disorders like ADD.

Another problem is differentiating between therapy and ‘enhancement’. Enhancements use genetic engineering to alter a child's non-pathological traits. Parents may be tempted to change their child’s appearances and even intelligence. After all, who wouldn’t want an athletic, intelligent and beautiful child?

A group of adorable and diverse children.

With this type of technology available to parents, only the wealthy would be able to afford having their children modified. Social hierarchy would only become worse, with ‘imperfect’ children at the bottom. In turn, society will also begin to pressure designer babies, with expectations for them to be perfect. Overtime, there won’t even be any variety in our genetics anymore. All of our children will end up being the same.

I’ve watched a few sci-fi flicks that delve into the topic of genetically modified humans, and it’s a constant struggle to find humanity within themselves. Now my life probably wouldn’t be an intense sci-fi drama or anything, but if I was genetically enhanced, I would feel I was created to live up to be perfect. Especially with the knowledge that my parents, who are supposed to love me unconditionally, chose to genetically alter me, I’d feel almost betrayed.

Remember that old Simpson’s episode: E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)? It was the episode when Homer accidentally planted tomato and tobacco plants, which grew exponentially due to the plutonium Lenny gave him. While the ‘tomacco’ seemed like an innovative idea (for profit!) at first, there’s a huge chain reaction where not only people – but farm animals – get extremely addicted from the nicotine, and finally fight over the last tomacco plant (strangely enough, caused another explosion in the helicopter).

Perhaps even back in 1999 when the Pokémon movie and this particular episode of the Simpsons came out, they were warning us...