DNA

I'm reading DNA: The Secret of Life right now. It was written as part of a multifaceted venture to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of the double-helix structure of the DNA molecule by Messrs. Watson and Francis Crick. The book is written in such a way as to be understandable by those with very little science background. It's a history of genetics, but moreso, it's a look at advances in the field and their impact - practical, social, and ethical. He examines issues such as DNA forensics, "playing God", the "mitochondrial Eve" hypothesis (mitochondrial DNA, passed on only by mothers, supports an African origin for Homo sapiens and a severe population bottleneck at some point in man's past - 150,000 years ago by their calculations), gene therapy for heritable genetic disorders, genetically modified organisms and foods (GMOs), and pharmaceutical biotechnology, among other things.

At one point Dr. Watson recounts a the outcome of a 1975 meeting held at the beginning of the recombinant DNA era, which led to guidelines regulating this area of research. At one point in the story, it really struck me how many of the people he mentioned were really trying to improve things for others on this planet. This is conveyed in the chapter on GMOs as well. I don't see that sentiment on a day-to-day basis in my dealings with scientists though. It does come across that they love science, and really love the project or organism they're working on, but the avid desire to benefit humanity comes across typically as a secondary motive (or as a way to secure funding). Then again, maybe the desire to help others is the major motivation for many of my peers and they just don't wear it on their sleeve. Perhaps if I interacted with more people doing medical research I would be exposed to that feeling more often, but maybe not; after all, I do interact with people working on agriculture. I think the desire to help humanity is a noble one. I don't think science alone can do it, of course, but that desire is admirable.

So far it's been a good read. I recommend it to anyone interested in any of those topics.