CRISPER technology is very amazing technology. It allows for scientists to quickly modify the DNA of almost any living organism (Specter, Pg.1). The example I picked was how CRISPER Technology could affect human medicine. It allows for scientists to genetically produce tumor cells in their lab. These tumor cells are then tested on various drugs that try to stop their growth (Specter, Pg.3). This is exciting because it significantly increases the speed of cancer research. It allows use to create tumors in labs with many different genetic makeups, and see which drugs affect which types of tumors the best. It is freighting to think about how much we control we can have over organisms. And with that much control it’s only a matter of time before someone tries to use this technology in a bad way. The director of the Department of Intelligence even said it could possible considered a weapon of mass destruction (Specter, Pg. 5). It could allow terrorists to create viruses that could be very hard to cure or organisms that kill crops to create food shortages. So even though this technology has many positives, it also could have some negative consequences.
I believe gene editing in humans in a very touchy subject. I do believe that it could help prevent things such as birth defects and genetic diseases. But I also believed that gene editing could get out of hand quickly. The biggest problem I see occurring is that many people will not be able to afford to have their children’s genes edited. And if we are eventually able to things such as intelligence, that could drastically limit the potential of children born into lower income families. But I do not believe we should stop the research on gene editing, this would limit the potential of modern science. But we do have to be careful about the way we use it.