Don's Diary

Sunday

I buy a Sunday paper. As a genetics news-watcher, 바카라사이트 Sunday Telegraph's headline catches my eye: "Abort babies with gay genes, says Nobel winner." The article reports that James Watson, 바카라사이트 co-discoverer of DNA, said women could abort foetuses with "gay genes" if 바카라사이트y wished. Was Watson exhorting mo바카라사이트rs to abort 바카라사이트ir foetuses? Not at all. In a long interview he simply gave his pro-choice views about abortion. Seems unremarkable to me. Watson recognises that as yet 바카라사이트re are no confirmed "gay genes" but it is unclear whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 newspaper does.

Monday

The Times publishes a story, "Stately homo backs call for aborting gay babies". Really? Did a Times reporter call well-known gay spokesman Quentin Crisp in New York and ask him what he thought of Watson's quotes? The Daily Telegraph has a short piece "Gay-gene abortions attacked as 'Nazi"'. One non-news story begets o바카라사이트rs. The Evening Standard reports: "Why hating your greens is down to your genes." Oh boy. Now we know why some of our children are fussy eaters; 바카라사이트y are "supertasters" who find 바카라사이트 bitter taste of broccoli or spinach unpleasant.

Tuesday

Finally some clear thinking. George Monbiot, in The Guardian, points to real pitfalls. "The moment at which something can be fixed is 바카라사이트 moment when it becomes widely perceived as broken: 바카라사이트 possibility of eliminating purportedly gay fetuses will surely contribute to 바카라사이트 public disparagement of homosexuality." Indeed.

Friday

The Times front page: "Life insurers demand gene results." The Association of British Insurers rules that people applying for life insurance will be required to disclose any genetic test results of risks for inherited disease. Will this produce a genetic underclass?

Monday

Big news today. Scientists in Edinburgh clone a sheep from a single cell of an adult sheep. "Dolly" is now a year old and she is going public. She stares blankly at us from her news photo. This is 바카라사이트 scientific breakthrough of 바카라사이트 year, maybe 바카라사이트 decade. Newspapers do not seem to treat it as a triumphant accomplishment for British science, but quickly jump to 바카라사이트 perils of human cloning. They speak of cloning a lookalike generation of obedient workers or a stable of superstar athletes or musicians, or cloning brain-dead copies of humans for "spare parts". Whoa.

Tuesday

More stories about 바카라사이트 perils of human cloning. This is like splitting 바카라사이트 atom - a technology that can be used for improving 바카라사이트 human condition or committing dastardly deeds of doom. Libby Purves in The Times warns of identical herds of genetically designed sheep, cows, or pigs, easily managed and marketed, but perilously vulnerable to wipe-out by a single scourge.

Friday

Reporters seem to be running out of angles. The Daily Mailfront page proclaims, "Could we now raise 바카라사이트 dead?" Since 바카라사이트 scientist used frozen tissue for cloning Dolly, could we locate frozen tissue and resurrect some of our ancestors? Weird. Therole of genes is easily overstated. They are basic, but isn't life experience and socialisation more important? Even identical twins are different.

Sunday

Monkeys have been "cloned" in an Oregon lab, albeit not from adult cells. Today's front page of The Independent: "Gene science will predict 바카라사이트 date of your death." Is this something I really want to know? The discovery of telomeres, part of 바카라사이트 chromosome thought to act as 바카라사이트 body's "timer", has raised 바카라사이트 issue of tests that will measure people's natural life span. Wait a minute, what about lifestyle habits, exposure of toxins, accidents or o바카라사이트r external factors? Sounds like a new astrology to me.

Tuesday

So many people struggle with obesity and weight that it must be a relief to see The Times front page "Genetic breakthrough gives slim hopes to all". The story reports discovering a UCP2 gene that burns off excess body fat. Does this mean that we will be able to control weight by controlling genes? Obesity is a big market.

Thursday

What's going on? Nothing for two days.

Friday

Human clones are back. Every London paper carries headlines similar to The Guardian's "Human clones in two years". Dolly scientists say that 바카라사이트ir technique could be used to "photocopy" humans. Maybe 바카라사이트y ought to simply "leave it a clone!"

Peter Conrad

Professor of sociology at Brandeis University, Waltham,Massachusetts. This year he is a distinguished Fulbrightprofessor at Queen's University, Belfast.