After my DIY deck collapse, I see gene editing the same way

I tried to build a deck last summer and skipped getting permits, now it's unsafe and I regret it. Seeing companies sell gene editing tools to the public feels just as reckless, because the risks are huge and lasting. We're playing with life itself without thinking through the ethics. Shouldn't there be more oversight before this gets out of hand?

4 comments

4 Comments

logan5251mo ago

But there ARE already strict rules for gene editing.

nguyen.angela1mo ago

Wow, I actually used to think like @logan525 that the rules were tight enough. But hearing about that scientist in China really shifted my view. It shows rules on paper mean nothing if no one gets in trouble for breaking them. And like jennifer_dixon said, what stops someone else in a place with lazy oversight? Now I'm totally convinced we need way better checks, lol.

jennifer_dixon1mo ago

See, @logan525, I get that there are rules, but how strict are they really? Look at what happened with that scientist in China who edited babies' genes. He broke international guidelines, but was there any real punishment? The rules exist on paper, but enforcement is a whole other issue. What stops someone else from doing the same thing in a country with weak oversight? That's what keeps me up at night.

shane_hayes22d ago

That Chinese researcher got three years in prison, but you're right... it feels like a slap on the wrist for messing with human DNA.