Use of genetically modified organisms have become quite common in many countries, notably on the US and parts of South America. It has largely been because of the efforts of large multi-national corporations eyeing big profits in genetic modification. It may be considered as a technology that has largely not yet been fully understood by researchers and scientists. It is an industry that may pose a danger to the wor

Researchers from Boston University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have genetically modified viruses that defeat bacterial defense systems, which could enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics. This new approach could also kill bacteria that have already developed antibiotic resistance. The results of the study were published in the March 2, 2009 online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that over 40 million Americans report they have been told by their doctors they have rheumatic condition such as arthritis. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the country, limiting the activities of about 19 million people. A recent study provides new insight about one of the causes of inflammatory arthritis: bacteria. Researchers f

Much has been said against genetic modification of humans, but four arguments have been used over and over again in attacking this technology: the uniqueness argument, the freedom argument, the authenticity argument, and the giftedness argument. These assumptions are obvious versions of false genetic determinism, and are therefore unsound. Argument # 1: Uniqueness The uniqueness argument posits that genetic modifi

Aldous Huxley imagined in Brave New World a society where the state manufactures different human classes, each designed to perform specific roles. In Anarchy, State and Utopia, Robert Nozick presents the genetic supermarket wherein becoming a parent is as simple as purchasing a new car: If you want a female, artistically gifted child with the blackest hair, the bluest eyes, and a superior IQ, then you only have to

President Barack Obama is overturning yet another policy of the Bush regime. This time, Obama will allow federal taxpayer dollars to finance embryonic stem cell (ESC) research. This is in fulfillment of his campaign promise to push more research to discover better treatments for illnesses ranging from paralysis to diabetes. Like the late actor Christopher Reeve and former first lady Nancy Reagan, Obama supports the