Let's Play God (or not)
Posted by Pete Shanks October 14, 2014
Biopolitical Times
Reason magazine, the libertarian monthly, is not known for a religious approach to public policy. Indeed, science correspondent Ronald Bailey has described religion as one of "the deep puzzles in human evolution." (Another might be the fact that their promotional material features a present-tense quote from Christopher Hitchens, who transcended this mortal plane nearly three years ago as a staunch atheist; could his ghost have learned different?)
But the headline to Bailey's column in the November 2014 issue is refreshingly direct:
Let's Play God!The piece itself is mostly a rehash of the discussion about "gene drives" initiated in July by Kevin Esvelt, George Church et al., though Bailey adds a typical gratuitous smear about the "usual Luddites" who might complain. If the topic seems a little old hat, well, the article is in fact a lightly altered version of a column he published online in July, when it was current. The headline of that, however, was:
'Editing' Life With Gene Drives is a Great Way to Play God(What would be a mediocre one?)
Clearly, Reason's print edition is proof of the existence — of an editor.
Previously on Biopolitical Times: