DNA "discovery" turns 50
50 years ago, 28th February 1953, the "secret of life", or the structure of <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2804545.stm"; target="_blank">DNA</a>was discovered.
A revelation of truely epic proportion, it was said to hold the key to life itself.
Although, at the time, medical science heralded an end to disease and other world problems (including an end to famine with the introduction of GM foods as an example), the discovery and subsequent mapping of the human genome and other species still has a lot of mystery and fear surrounding it.
Take for example, the uproar over GM crops "contaminating" other natural crops grown nearby and the subsequent heatth fears that go along with it.
Also, the health problems forseen by tampering with DNA for gene therapy and the <a href="http://www.apologeticspress.org/rr/rr2000/r&r0011b.htm"; target="_blank">Gattaca</a> effect or implications on all our daily lives now and in the future.
What are your thoughts on the implications of DNA research or gene therapy and will it make our lives better in the future or will it open a Pandoras Box of unforseen problems and catastrophies on mankind and nature?
A complicated yet timely subject, I believe that DNA research holds some great benefits for mankind though tampering with such a thing can only bring more problems than we could possibly imagine as the implications of such have only being seen recently with the death of human "guineapig" connected to gene therapy.
Any thoughts or comments?
A revelation of truely epic proportion, it was said to hold the key to life itself.
Although, at the time, medical science heralded an end to disease and other world problems (including an end to famine with the introduction of GM foods as an example), the discovery and subsequent mapping of the human genome and other species still has a lot of mystery and fear surrounding it.
Take for example, the uproar over GM crops "contaminating" other natural crops grown nearby and the subsequent heatth fears that go along with it.
Also, the health problems forseen by tampering with DNA for gene therapy and the <a href="http://www.apologeticspress.org/rr/rr2000/r&r0011b.htm"; target="_blank">Gattaca</a> effect or implications on all our daily lives now and in the future.
What are your thoughts on the implications of DNA research or gene therapy and will it make our lives better in the future or will it open a Pandoras Box of unforseen problems and catastrophies on mankind and nature?
A complicated yet timely subject, I believe that DNA research holds some great benefits for mankind though tampering with such a thing can only bring more problems than we could possibly imagine as the implications of such have only being seen recently with the death of human "guineapig" connected to gene therapy.
Any thoughts or comments?
Comments
But he was "discovered" almost excatly one year before the other DNA.