What to make of experiment altering girls’ DNA?

On Nov. 25, news broke that a Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, had used the gene-editing tool CRISPR to alter the genetic code of newborns to increase immunity to various diseases. This development was met with shock and controversy by observers the world over (“Researcher genetically alters DNA of twin girls,” Nov. 27).

No doubt this story will enter our politics in America as something “Chinese.”

Rightly or wrongly, this development will be used as evidence against a society which we have come to fear rivals our own. While there is something to be said about the eagerness of the Chinese government to reclaim what it sees as China’s rightful place in world affairs, especially through earning recognition for scientific achievements, let us acknowledge that the root problem here transcends political maps. It speaks to something small-minded and misguided in global society at large.

Too often, we have come to pursue the proxies of success and achievement at the expense of contributing real value.

In the case of Dr. He, let us be clear — seeking to mitigate harm from disease is admirable, doing so form the shadows in a bid to be first is not. Genetic edits to an embryo are passed on to the next generation and can eventually affect the entire genome.

The type of thoughtful, considered leadership we need to navigate an ambiguous future of gene-editing, not to mention artificial intelligence, is in short supply. We are too focused on signaling the appearance of short-term gains. Consider companies who ignore their harm to the environment to secure short-term profits. Or what about politicians who ignore the scientific consensus on climate change to earn shortterm political gain? If we don’t have the courage to take on climate-change, an issue that is well-understood and researched, how will we navigate a future in which a rogue scientist in a lab can alter the foundations of life itself?

Brian O’Connor Drout

Wales