Men used to clamber into their ships and set off to discover new worlds. Once upon a time we sent men to check out the Moon; a place we knew existed but had not visited, until July 1969. Now, we just talk about manned expeditions, preferring the unmanned versions. Whatever happen to a colony, an outpost on the Moon? But there are other areas of discovery that are just as exciting as they are full of frightening possibilities.
Recently, it was announced that scientists made a hamburger from stem cells. To make it more palatable, a few ingredients had to be added. This new achievement was hailed as a possibility to feed millions in the future; in and by itself, maybe not a bad idea. That said, something stuck in my craw. Here it is: science fiction becomes reality.
How far away can we be from manufacturing human beings on an assembly line, like an automobile with all the bells and whistles desired? I say manufacturing, and not making babies the old fashioned way, through sex. Maybe the day of a perfectly flawless, manufactured human population, is closer than we think or, want to believe. Personally, I shudder to think of the consequences of this happening. We humans are unique in many ways including our flaws. Repairing a damaged organ with stem cells is one thing but leave the baby making to the old fashion methods. But for people and groups who still insist that the body is evil, sex is a sin (heaven forbid that people really enjoy it!) and making babies is dirty, they can take heart in the "manufactured process." Heavens forbid that happens.
Copyright @2013 Terry Unger
