Big Think

John Hammonds on April 17, 2009, 2:31 AM

Im an aspiring biotechnology major and I must say this is pretty interesting. Sequencing is a good step into figuring out the fuction of that good majority of unknown gene coding.

I would also think the matter of figuring out how genes have changed would be interesting, and that therapy for problems realted with genetics would be a major ethical issue since we don’t have natural selection, and the whole matter delves into philosophy.

PS Contact is one of my favorite movies. :)

colin day on June 19, 2009, 2:08 PM

DNA information and its use can both help and hurt people. I see the the benefits in determining possible future disease and thus helping people plan and make health decisions, but  I am not really sure if I want to know that I have a 50% chance of developing an incurable  ailment. Are  employers and insurers going to try to force employees  undergo DNA testing to weed out  people  with possible future health problems?  I see privacy issues  here too. Amazing how people will  use  fantastic  technology to try to  discriminate. I predict  genetic info cases will  be  making their way to the Supreme Court in the near future.

Lee . on August 13, 2009, 2:55 PM

Pardis Sabeti’s profile on NOVA scienceNOW

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0302/04.html