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Culture | Life Issues | Science | Technology | Theology
The Ethics of CRISPR and Genetically Modified Humans
Thursday, March 5, 2020
1:00 pm EST - 2:00 pm EST
Live Streamed
Catholic Information Center
1501 K Street NW
Washington,
DC
20005
United States
Description
After the Human Genome Project, the field of genetics had laid dormant until recently. The surprising advance of CRISPR technology allows scientists and amateurs to edit the DNA of plants, animals and humans. There is a heated debate about whether we should use this technology not only to correct genetic illnesses, but also to enhance humanity. With the news of the birth of babies in China through CRISPR gene editing of embryos, we have crossed the boundary of genetically modified humans. Would this technology create superior offspring who would be healthier, smarter, and live longer? Could such technology change human nature in a radical and possibly disastrous way?
This lunch hour talk will look at the state of the technology and offer some ethical reflections on its use.
About the Speaker
Fr. S. Joseph Tham was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to
Canada at the age of fifteen. At the University of Toronto, he first majored in Mathematical Sciences and then graduated from Medical School.
