1/ Here @picardonhealth covers a lot of ground on the #CRISPRbaby story, much of which I agree with but… “the technology is changing so quickly that many scientists are taking a “if I don’t do it, someone else will” attitude.” theglobeandmail.com/opinion/articl…
@picardonhealth 2/ There’s very little I disagree with André on but here’s hoping he is wrong. If a scientist is rushing to be first to engineer a human without extraordinary safety, they are a charlatan.
@picardonhealth 3/ Notably, operating (for this is similar) on an embryo without knowing exactly what the outcome will be (and no one does today) is like a surgeon operating with a blindfold. That is more than unethical, it is criminal.
@picardonhealth 4/ This is the very worst kind of science. This is not risk-taking for the scientist. It is fame-seeking. The children have all the risk & very little benefit, even under the best of scenarios.
@picardonhealth 5/ Moreover, we have learned nothing from it, except for the selfishness of a person. Thousands of scientists are working meticulously to refine & improve this technology. What this is is a magic trick.
@picardonhealth 6/ So if you’re a scientist with a “if I don’t do it, someone else will” attitude, you’re self-justifying a crime. It is not your life you are flippantly experimenting with. /fin
