A step to artificial selection?
Cognitive development was accompanied by a parallel evolution of technology with the creation of lytic weapons. This corresponded to positive feedback between both: the best lithic progress, greater protein food availability and, therefore, greater energy for brain growth. This brain growth has enabled, in the years, a better development of individuals in their environment, as well as a better creation of lytic weapons, reanimating the cycle.Currently, the technology is at its peak advancing exponentially. Perhaps it would not be correct to postulate that technological evolution surpasses that of the human being, because one would depend on the other. However, technology is probably a step behind the limits established by the brain capacities it offers, because whatever technology is, it is created with the bases in which the human being understands the world. Will at any time be reached and exceeded this limit?The world is likely to be at the decisive turning point today. Evolution no longer depends only on the adaptation of the human being to its environment, but is facilitated by applied science. Therefore, the technology disguised as applied science would open the doors of natural selection and surpass certain of its conditionings leading to an artificial selection:- The application of cesarean births allows the birth of fetuses with larger prenatal brains that could not do so by natural delivery.
- Reproduction treatments allow to give an opportunity to leave off descendants to those with complications.
- Biotechnological advances today allow healing certain diseases and providing better quality of life to patients
- The choice of embryos allows to bring individuals to the world whose genetic sequence is selected.
- And in the future, the possibility of modifying genetically modified human embryos is estimated.
What characters would be the chosen ones?
Imagine having the ability to select the level of intelligence, the ability to stand out in a certain activity, physical characters and even aspects of personality sounds interesting. Diseases could also be eliminated, resulting in a more attractive idea than being born inheriting that encoded in the genome of our progenitors. This would allow a genetic improvement by introducing genetic modifications “to the letter” (those who want and available) and by obtaining a specific phenotypic result (visible characters expressed by the genome).The Human Genome Project (2003), where the entire genome was first built, and the use of genetic editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas allowed to lay the foundations for the design of embryos to the letter if desired. And although it would be expected that each person chooses different characters of interest, it is also possible that one tends to want to achieve a perfection stipulated under social/cultural bases. How much could we change? We could induce new capacities like breathing under the water; we could conceive individuals adapted to certain crafts: those with greater muscle development where it is necessary more strength, those who can live in conditions of little oxygen (in works intended for mining for example), could be improved athletic abilities for those destined to sport, could also be designed individuals with increased brain development of certain regions aimed at critical reasoning or creativity; even development could be edited genes Perhaps the only limitation is imagination and tomorrow would be flooded by a transhumanism, a utopia not so far away where the human being himself owns its evolution, and is increasingly far from the natural selection in which he was subjected.How would it impact the gene edition of embryos in society?
Although the genetic issue in embryos was an ideal scenario for our evolution, only a small group would have access to these technologies and those with restricted access should continue to be assigned randomly. This could generate a social division by forming two well-marked groups among those “card-chosen people” with higher capacities and those “conventional people”. Because of this and that this technology is not yet 100% developed, so far there are certain ethical regulations in progress:- In December 2015 in Washington D.C., the International Summit of the Genoese Edition in Humans recommended not to stop genetic editing in humans, but to avoid the investigation and use of modified embryos to provoke pregnancy. It was decided to pause until the biotechnological community has a safe and ethical regulatory framework.
- In 2018 in China was announced the birth of the first genetically modified babies, two HIV-resistant twins, edited by researcher Hi Jiankui, sent 3 years to prison.
- In 2019 the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a statement asking the regulatory authorities of all countries to avoid the work involved in genetic editing in infants.
- Recently, in July 2021, the WHO postulated the first global recommendations for genetic editing in humans.
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