Back in the 1960s and 1970s many post-apocalyptic science fiction stories included nuclear fallout causing widespread mutations in humans and other lifeforms.\u00a0 And that made for all kinds of fun monsters with two heads and three eyes and other bizarre anomalies but in real life these mutations no longer seem very likely or dangerous.<\/p>\n
But one thing that modern research into modifying the genome of humans and other living things has shown is that modifying lifeforms is well within our present scientific capabilities.\u00a0 And with the advances being made in artificial intelligence it seems reasonable that at some point in the future we might be able to engineer creatures with traits and characteristics that have never heretofore been seen or even imagined.\u00a0 Suppose we developed dogs with the intelligence of humans, possibly with the ability to speak.\u00a0 Would that be a wonder or an abomination?\u00a0 What if we could design insects who single-mindedly did nothing but hunt and eat ticks?\u00a0 What if we could domesticate dolphins to patrol along beaches in the summer attacking sharks who intrude into the space where swimmers are?\u00a0 All these things seem very possible.<\/p>\n
But the supreme imperative has always been to improve man.\u00a0 Currently you hear about tech billionaires chasing after the fountain of youth.\u00a0 They search for diets, supplements and health regimens to extend their lives and youth.\u00a0 But all of these things are illusory.\u00a0 Maybe a sixty-year-old can look forty.\u00a0 Maybe.\u00a0 But the reality is the human animal reaches a point where even with hormone supplements and corrective surgeries it slides into senescence.\u00a0 We age and fade and eventually die.<\/p>\n
But it may be the case that advances in biological knowledge of human physiology may reach a point where we know which gene tells us when to die.\u00a0 And when that happens, it will be the case, regardless of what laws there are against it, that very rich men will have scientists experiment with this knowledge and then it will be used to make long-lived humans.\u00a0 What if it turns out there is a Methusaleh gene?\u00a0 What if humans could remain young for a thousand years?\u00a0 What would happen?\u00a0 Would it make this a paradise on Earth or a hell?<\/p>\n
What if you had a thousand years to accomplish everything you wanted in this life?\u00a0 Would it be a blessing or a curse?\u00a0 What if you could know your descendants for twenty or more generations?\u00a0 Would you want to?\u00a0 Would they want you?<\/p>\n
So, all of these questions are speculative.\u00a0 But someday they may be urgent considerations.\u00a0 And what if the billionaires keep the fountain of youth just for their heirs?\u00a0 Robert Heinlein toyed with this idea in his book \u201cMethusaleh\u2019s Children.\u201d\u00a0 In the story, the short-lived majority were enraged against their long-lived brethren and wanted to torture the secret of long life from them.\u00a0 This was despite the fact that their secret was just their natural genetics.\u00a0 Of course, in the future everyone may have the opportunity to have their children\u2019s genomes tweaked using CRISPR gene-editing technology.\u00a0 The only question might be whether after a few generations we might want to escape from eternal life.\u00a0 We may find that death has its advantages.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Back in the 1960s and 1970s many post-apocalyptic science fiction stories included nuclear fallout causing widespread mutations in humans and other lifeforms.\u00a0 And that made<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3545,4],"tags":[4860,5030,5029],"class_list":["post-34825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-events","category-science","category-sff","tag-genetic-engineering","tag-long-life","tag-methuselah"],"yoast_head":"\n