I’m mentally preparing myself for a huge leap in how manipulate human genes…

First… I saw that you can now get a home test to look at traits, potential diseases, and also to trace your lineage by paternal and maternal genetics.  With a home kit for $399.   Awesome!  23AndMe.com

Second… I saw that someone had done some genetic modification on marmosets (which are apparently pretty genetically close to us humans.)   So they glow green under ultraviolet light…   Awesomer! BoingBoing

Third… These marmosets had babies… and the genetic modification actually passed to the children.  It was a permanent genetic modification.  Awesomest! Reason.com

Of course some stiffly stiffersons really don’t care for this sort of work.

“We should never do it in humans,” Chan said. “We don’t want to change our evolutionary path. That would have a profound impact on the next generation.”

Well… doesn’t basically everything we do have a profound impact on the next generation?  Burning fossil fuels?  Drinking pops? Cooking on teflon? Fluoridating  our water? etc…  I think it is a little short sighted to say that we should never do something.  Results of this could have a HUGE positive impact on the human race… let’s not make ridiculously sweeping statements before we even know what is possible or HOW it could be used.   The evil is never in the tool, but in how you use it.

“Every tool is a weapon if you hold it right” – Ani Difranco