Part One
Discuss the following:
- How do perceptions in science change over the years?
- Do you feel that science moves faster or slower than before? Why?
- What might future research of gene technology look like?
- How have past scientific advancements affected you personally?
- How do current scientific advancements (like CRISPR) affect you personally?
How fast is science moving now?
Part Two
Geneticist Jennifer Doudna was involved in introducing and co-inventing the technology for editing genes, called CRISPR-Cas9. The tool allows scientists to make precise edits to DNA strands, which is leading to treatments for genetic diseases; however, criticisms do exist such as the creation of so-called "designer babies." Please watch the 2015 video which features Doudna's review of how CRISPR-Cas9 works and calls to the scientific community to pause and discuss the ethics of this tool.