Gattaca's one of my favorite movies. Gattaca's based in a dystopian world where your role in society is a factor of your genetics. Those who are genetically engineered into superhumans make up an elite upper class, for those who are conceived in the so called old fashioned way, are low class citizens. Sequencing at birth encourages people to engage in deterministic genetics, assuming that if their odds are higher of a certain health problem like a heart attack, then one should avoid activities like running. In 1997 when Gattaca came out, the first full human genome was still unsequenced. It took 13 years and cost $3 billion US to sequence the first human genome. Now for genome sequencing costs in the hundreds of dollars, it takes only a few weeks. As we'll explore in this module, genetic sequencing is now so accessible, that you can easily walk into your local store and buy an at home genetic testing kit. Genetic testing is also easily ordered by your doctor well. They can look at anything from the genetic markers to see if you're likely to have celiac disease genes to tell us about how we may respond physiologically to antidepressant treatments. Fast and easy genetic testing isn't the only technology we're running into as part of our daily lives. Debates for example, over genetically modified foods or GMOs are ongoing. New technologies like CRISPR, which is a gene editing tool are revolutionizing what we can do faster than we can ask the question of if we should do it. Then there are applications of technology such as pre implantation genetic diagnosis or PGD, which is a technology that's highlighted in Gattaca. And the extinction and three paired of babies that are very exciting technologies that raised a lot of ethical and moral questions. In this module, we'll explore each of these genetic technologies. Some of these technologies are controversial, and I've done my best to provide balanced viewpoints that are supported by scientific evidence. As you explore each technology, I encourage you to remember to check the source of information and watch out for possible biases and whenever you may be reading. We'll come back to evaluating scientific evidence in course four, but you may want to skip ahead now. It is my hope that you will talk about these technologies and possible ethical considerations with your classmates, your friends, and your family. And I encourage you to use best practices for productive and respectful dialogue. Please always be kind to one another. As always, my goal is to never tell you what to think but encourage you to think, evaluate information, and make your own informed final decision. With that in mind, let's move to exploring genetic technologies.
