Wednesday, Aug. 08, 2001
Designer Babies
THE SCIENCE:
The marriage of cloning and in-vitro fertilization techniques makes it theoretically possible to genetically engineer our children. Genes that offer a benefitsay, added height or intelligencecould be incorporated into embryos. Defective genes that trigger a disease or disabilitysuch as cystic fibrosis or alcoholismcould be disarmed.
THE ETHICS:
Echoes of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, which foresaw a world of genetic haves and have-nots. Less troubling to some would be the use of genetic-engineering techniques to eliminate congenital disorders.