Chapter 335 Pandora's Box Gene Editing

Chapter 335 Pandora’s Box—Gene Editing

Seeing Qiu Chengtong stand up and deduce mathematics on the blackboard, Xu Chuan also stood up and watched from behind.

A top mathematician's derivation of a world-class problem is of extremely high academic value even to him.

What's more, this is still in the purely mathematical field of number theory.

After watching it intently for a while, suddenly, a cell phone rang in the office.

Xu Chuan was startled. After he realized what he was doing, he quickly took out his cell phone from his pocket. It was the girl Xu Xiao calling.

Glancing at Qiu Chengtong, who was still checking the formula, Xu Chuan decisively and quickly hung up the phone. Then he sent her a message and told her where he was.

For a scholar, being interrupted from research when inspiration comes is probably the most annoying thing.

Fortunately, it seemed like he was not affected at all.

After watching for a while and estimating the time, Xu Chuan exited the office and happened to bump into Xu Xiao who came to see him.

"Brother!"

Seeing Xu Chuan, Xu Xiao quickly trotted over in surprise.

Xu Chuan stretched out his index finger in front of his lips and made a silent sign, smiled and said softly: "Let's go, Mr. Qiu is doing research, so don't go in and disturb him."

With that said, he took Xu Xiao and left Qiu Chengtong Mathematics Center.

"Brother! I saw the news, you have become an academician! That's amazing!"

After leaving the building, Xu Xiao immediately became excited.

Xu Chuan smiled and said, "You have to work hard too."

"Of course." Xu Xiao nodded vigorously, and then said: "Brother, I want to drink milk tea! Buy it for me quickly!"

Xu Chuan smiled dumbly and said, "You are not short of money."

He didn't know the exact amount of this girl's monthly living expenses, but it would definitely not be low. Moreover, she entered Shuimu with a silver and gold medal in the international competition and the international biology competition. The annual scholarships and grants would not be less. .

It is no exaggeration to say that at her age, she is considered a well-off young woman.

Xu Xiao shook his head and said: "That can be the same."

Xu Chuan smiled and shook his head and said, "Let's go and take you to buy some."

What else can I do about my sister?

At Shuimu University, Xu Xiao was holding a cup of milk tea and sipping on it on a wicker chair in front of the milk tea shop, with a look of joy on his face.

Xu Chuan looked at the milk tea in his hand, dumbfounded.

He didn't quite understand what this thing was good at.

"Brother, do you think it's possible for a person to grow wings and fly to the sky?" Xu Xiao, sipping her milk tea, rolled her black eyes and asked her brother.

Hearing this question, Xu Chuan was stunned for a moment, and then asked with a smile: "Why do you think about this?"

Xu Xiao supported his little head with his arms and said in fantasy: "In history, there are many legends about gods and immortals. They all have wings and can go to the sky and the sea."

Xu Chuan smiled and shook his head, saying: "You are already a sophomore, you can also go into the laboratory to do experiments and study, and you are already on the path of scientific research. How can you still believe in these myths?"

Xu Xiao turned around and glanced, then said: "Who said it must be a myth?"

After a pause, she continued: "When we were in class a few days ago, we just finished the course on DNA genetic information and gene editing."

"I wonder if we can find the DNA fragments that allow birds to grow wings and graft them into humans, will humans also be able to grow wings?"

"Perhaps this is how the winged gods and angels in fairy tales came to be."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan was stunned again and said, "You are too whimsical."

After a pause, he seemed to remember something again. He slowly sat up straight and looked at his sister.

Being stared at by him, Xu Xiao looked over with keen sense, and met his brother's serious eyes and expression.

"What's wrong? Brother." Xu Xiao met his brother's serious gaze and asked weakly.

Xu Chuan took a deep breath and said seriously: "Xu Xiao, you have to remember that genetic modification of the human body is expressly prohibited by the state. This is illegal and is a bottom line that cannot be touched."

"Human genetic experiments are a Pandora's box. It's not as simple as cutting off double eyelids, let alone "one is willing to fight and the other is willing to suffer." It is related to the genealogy of human genes, related to everyone, and also contains Ethical risks.”

"The biggest difference between it and somatic cell gene therapy is that if it fails, it will directly affect the next generation, even future generations. Because they will be inherited along with the embryonic genes, and they will be infinite."

"Even if this is just an experimental surgery! The impact is not just on a person's life or the integrity of a family, but may affect countless people in the future!"

"No matter how far you go on the academic path in the future, don't touch this kind of experiment!"

"Remember?"

Xu Xiao swallowed nervously and nodded.

This was the first time she had seen the look in Xu Chuan's eyes when he spoke just now, as if she had made a big mistake.

Xu Chuan breathed a sigh of relief, relaxed his posture, and continued: "Curiosity and exploration are the basic spirits that a scientific researcher should have. But as a scientific researcher, you should always grasp what can be done. What can’t be done.”

"If you can find a path in biology, what you should do is lead civilization forward, rather than leading it into a path of destruction or the future."

"Perhaps in the distant future, when human civilization begins to set foot on extraterrestrial planets and travel beyond the earth, some people will do these things. It may also be unavoidable."

"But at least for now, don't touch, open this Pandora's box."

To be honest, Xu Chuan's feelings about the technology of genetic modification are actually very complicated.

The first is that gene editing technology is like a Pandora's box. Opening it is very likely to lead to catastrophic or even devastating consequences.

This can be understood by just thinking about it.

But to say that he was completely opposed to it, he actually wasn’t.

Because history is like a wheel, always rolling forward.

If one day in the future, human civilization on earth has the ability to enter the universe and travel to other planets, it may encounter other civilizations, and it is also possible that with the development of science and technology, all kinds of knowledge will increase, then the human body will be extremely Big ones can be the biggest obstacle.

A lifespan of more than a hundred years, limited brain development, and a body that can only adapt to the earth's ecological environment are all fatal flaws for a space civilization.

Fortunately, the latter can be solved through various technologies or other means.

As for the former, to be honest, lifespan actually limits the development of human technology to a certain extent.

It's simple, because with the development of science and technology, human civilization has accumulated more and more knowledge.

For example, a century ago, there could still be an all-round mathematician like Poincaré in the mathematics world, but today, a century later, neither he nor Terence Tao can be called an all-round mathematician.

It's not because they are less intelligent than people like Poincaré, but because they have so much to learn now.

Every day that passes, the various kinds of knowledge accumulated by human beings will increase by one point. Over time, this is already a quite huge number.

But in a person's life, the golden age of scientific research is basically before the age of forty.

After the age of forty, it can be said that it is difficult to make any major breakthrough results.

Today's Ph.D. students generally have to study until they are over thirty years old before they can graduate, and those who can further their studies to the Ph.D. level can already be the top group of human beings.

As difficult as this is, what will happen in a few decades?

When technology develops and the accumulation of knowledge exceeds human lifespan, but a person cannot finish learning a field of knowledge in his lifetime, let alone make a breakthrough, will anyone be interested in gene editing technology?

He didn't know how to answer this question.

After thinking for a while, Xu Chuan shook his head and threw away these thoughts in his mind.

He looked at Xu Xiao and continued: "If you are interested in flying into the sky and into the earth, I have some suggestions and directions."

Xu Xiao asked curiously: "Huh? What?"

Xu Chuan smiled and said: "Virtual reality."

Xu Xiao looked at his brother in confusion and said, "Virtual reality? Isn't that a technology majored in electronic information engineering? Why does it have anything to do with biology?"

After a pause, she added: "Besides, I heard that this technology is used to defraud money."

Xu Chuan smiled and said: "No, although it is a technology under the electronic information major, its essence is actually inseparable from the support of biology."

Xu Xiao looked at his brother with interest and said, "What should I say?"

Xu Chuan thought for a while, sorted out his thoughts and then continued: "The so-called virtual reality technology refers to the virtual reality that uses computers, electronic information, simulation technology, etc. to produce a realistic three-dimensional vision, touch, smell and other sensory experiences. technology that creates an immersive feeling for people in the virtual world.”

"Currently, the current virtualization of this technology is achieved through head-mounted displays, visual stimulation and auxiliary equipment, simulating a virtual world in the computer, and deceiving the eyes, ears, hands, nose, mouth and other sensory organs."

"In addition, this technology is new and immature, so it seems to be a bit like PPT to make money."

"But real virtual reality technology is not like this."

"It is like a virtual helmet in a science fiction movie. It can read and interact with the brain waves of the human brain through virtual devices, thereby bypassing the secondary nervous systems of the human eye, ears, and somatosensory, and achieving a completely virtual state. of."

“In this technology, a key point is how to realize the interaction between virtual devices and human brain waves.”

"Currently, the scientific community can only read brain waves and break them down into various types of data information, but this is just the beginning."

"Because the forms of human brain waves are very complex and difficult to interpret. It is also a difficult step to synthesize visual, auditory, force, touch and other sensory information through virtual devices to be received by the brain."

“If we can solve this problem, maybe we can realize true virtual technology.”

"At that time, if you want to fly into the sky, escape from the earth, blow up a planet with one punch, etc., you can experience it in the virtual game."

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