The Revelation of Genetic Engineering by Heather

The Revelation of Genetic Engineering by Heather - July 2017 Scholarship Essay

As the scientific- world enters a blossoming era of possibilities through genetic engineering, new opportunities to create life- saving solutions and moral questions alike have manifested. Having the opportunity to give an educational TED talk, this talk would highlight how far the scientific community should progress when using genetic engineering; and bring to light the moral debates on to what extent humans should be genetically modified. In the ensuing years genetic engineering has expanded its borders past modifying crops to become more resistant to diseases and damage, and has begun to explore the concept of modifying human embryos to avoid developmental disorders; and inserting them with desired traits.
The TED talk would praise the new frontier of genetic modification, acknowledge the positive aspects of this new practice, and detail some possible uses for genetic modification as an advantage. Having the ability to bypass devastating diseases such as down syndrome, autism spectrum, and immunodeficient disorders, genetic modification would consist of replacing a mutated gene with a normal gene; which would be a break through in preventing these disorders. Genetic engineering may be a solution to other issues such as diabetes, a prominent health issue among Americans, a higher amount of insulin can be produced in a modified pancreas; and may restore glucose levels. The possibilities of genetic engineering may have the potential to reveal new mechanisms of treating cancer through vaccines by engineering T-cells to specifically target cancer cells. The wide range of probable uses for genetic engineering can lead to unimaginable achievements in the future, however genetic engineering can work both in favor or danger to future generations of people.
To what extent should the scientific community utilize this advancement is highly debated, since genetic engineering has the capability of dictating not only a human being's health; but every aspect of a person. With the advancements of modification, the idea of engineering an embryo exactly how a parent may want a child to look is possible; by replacing a gene with an altered gene to express a desired phenotypic trait. Not only can this concept become unnerving, it may also lead to new problems within a modified subject. Another gene may mutate in response to the change of one gene and create more problems from solving one. During this TED talk it will be left to the audience to decide how deep this new achievement should be invested into the nearing future with this unavoidable danger in mind. The concept of genetic engineering could be a revelation for mankind and increase human longevity, but undermining this power and overusing its powerful effects can cause unforeseen issues.
This Ted talk would be aimed at engaging a person's own opinion and specific beliefs as to how far a concept as this could go, and how ingrained it should be in the future. Like technology, the relationship between man and computers is becoming more personal as technology plays a larger role in the modern world of electronics. This connection of man and lab-made genes once more connects humanity to its inventions.The use of genetic engineering has the power to unleash new and hazardous illness and diseases if it is not used under moderation. The need to understand both the positive and negative impacts of genetic modification is crucial for all to know since the practice will only grow in the upcoming years. The more educated the people are on this subject matter the better chance of knowing the risk and taking into accountability the downsides of this powerful tool. This makes people knowledgeable of the dangers and able to perceive when to avoid using modification to fix an issue. It would be discussed in this TED talk to decide how far is too far when applying this growing discovery to humanity, and to pass judgement by oneself on what should be modified for the better and what can be preserved without alteration. This TED talk has the intention of opening the minds of generations who are growing up in the age of technology, and make them to ask more philosophical questions on how new scientific advancements will impact their future not on the premise of 'good' or 'bad' but of to what extent.