Julie Legakis is a seasoned biology professor here at Madonna University. She holds a Ph.D. in biotechnology and has worked in laboratories at Wayne State and University of Michigan, studying genetics among other topics. With her extensive knowledge on the subject, one cannot deny that she knows a lot about the specifics on genetic engineering, which has thus allowed her to formulate her own ideas about it. Julie claims that she is against "manipulating the genome"(J. Legakis, personal communication, February 16, 2015). However, she is supportive of using it for other improvements in humans, besides the extension of life.
Julie began our interview by explaining the basics of genetic engineering, and how it could involve anything from changing the human genome to exchanging old, malfunctioning organs for new designed organs. She believes that genetic engineering in humans is very conquerable, and referred back to a lab we had previously done in BIO 1040 with strawberries and polyploidy, which means having multiple sets of chromosomes. Julie absolutely thinks that it is possible to genetically alter humans, but is wary about using it to extend human lives. She thinks that it should only be used for disease control, not eternal life. She claims that issues of overpopulation and too many mouths to feed without enough resources would be detrimental to our society.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Interview: Cyntha Ralston
Cynthia Ralston is a gerontology major and lab assistant in the computer labs here at Madonna. As a sixty-one year old grandmother who has experienced a lot of hardships in her lifetime, she has a lot of wisdom and strong opinions on extending human life.
As a whole, she believes that genetic engineering should not be used in humans; she does not see the benefit, and believes that it would create more problems than benefits (C. Ralston, personal communication, February 14, 2015). She worries about psychosocial issues, like who gets to decide what, and says that it would remove any sense of God or a higher being as well as a problem of man controlling man, thus creating a faux superiority.
With her extensive knowledge of gerontology, Cynthia thinks that the elderly would make good use of their extended time, but only if they were the ones to make that decision, and she thinks very few would.
One of the most important points Cynthia made during her interview was that it makes no difference if people can live to be one-hundred-fifty, if they have no food or quality of life. She believes that alternative options -like better prosthetics, hearing aids, and disease control- would be a much better choice, simply because it gives people the ability to make their own decision.
Personally, Cynthia claimed that, given the choice, she would not want genetic engineering used on her. Yes, she knows she could make further contributions to the world with more life, but she believes that her lifetime is pre-destined, and does not want to change that.
As a whole, she believes that genetic engineering should not be used in humans; she does not see the benefit, and believes that it would create more problems than benefits (C. Ralston, personal communication, February 14, 2015). She worries about psychosocial issues, like who gets to decide what, and says that it would remove any sense of God or a higher being as well as a problem of man controlling man, thus creating a faux superiority.
With her extensive knowledge of gerontology, Cynthia thinks that the elderly would make good use of their extended time, but only if they were the ones to make that decision, and she thinks very few would.
One of the most important points Cynthia made during her interview was that it makes no difference if people can live to be one-hundred-fifty, if they have no food or quality of life. She believes that alternative options -like better prosthetics, hearing aids, and disease control- would be a much better choice, simply because it gives people the ability to make their own decision.
Personally, Cynthia claimed that, given the choice, she would not want genetic engineering used on her. Yes, she knows she could make further contributions to the world with more life, but she believes that her lifetime is pre-destined, and does not want to change that.
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