Some potential ethical problems with the results of genetic research

You might ask "how urgent is all this anyhow?" Well, let me help you a bit with that one. Scientists at the ANU discovered that a plant had short roots if a particular gene was not operating. They took some affected plants and fed in the gene with the result that plants grew normally. Roots had normal length after treatment.

So it is happening already in plants.

Much has been made too of the fact that scientists have replaced specific genes in a person to provide an enzyme that was needed.

It is likely that all these capacities to interfere with foetuses or young children will increase fast – very fast.

And when they are ready with the technical know-how, we have to be ready with an appropriate ethical framework.

At present we are not ready.

And there is some doubt that medical graduates with scientific training will be able or willing to address all these questions.

Someone must address them and I suspect that teams, which include social scientists, will make the most productive efforts for us all.

Our society is more than just the science that amazes us day by day. That science progresses but there is a need to match it with wisdom and care. To do this matching properly, the medical scientists may need help from those trained in social sciences. I wonder now how we might design systems which will encourage frightened and proud medical practitioners to turn to those in the social sciences for team help in this and related matters.