I remember watching the movie Gattaca and
I was thinking it just happened a few years
ago, but it came out before you all were born.
But Gattaca, back in the 1990's when it came
out, I remember thinking how awful it would
be to have one's whole life mapped out and
known in advance simply by analyzing one's
own DNA.
I remember thinking well at least that technology
doesn't exist for the state to abuse.
It's no longer true.
In your lifetime, much of your potential,
or maybe lack thereof, will be known simply
by swabbing the inside of your check.
Imagine though a world in which disease and
disability are eliminated.
No meningitis.
No down syndrome.
No cleft palate.
No cerebral palsy.
Man is able to select his own genes.
Each individual's biological future can be
predicted by looking at their DNA.
Who could argue against such a world?
But hopefully somebody will stand and 
say wait a minute, not so fast.
Didn't we try that?
Didn't we learn what can happen when you let
the state select for perfection?
In the movie Gattaca, in the not too-distant
future, eugenics is common and DNA plays the
primary role in determining your social class.
Vincent Freeman is conceived, born the old
fashioned way.
Without the aid of genetic selection, he turns
out very nearsighted.
He has a heart defect.
His projected lifespan is only 30.2 years.
Due to the frequent screenings Vincent faces
genetic discrimination and prejudice.
The only way to achieve his dream of being
an astronaut is he has to become what's called
a "borrowed ladder."
He has to steal or impersonate the DNA from
a "valid" person, someone who has acceptable
DNA.
He assumes the identity of Jerome Morrow,
world class swimming star whose genetic profile
is said to be secondary to none, but he's
been paralyzed in a car accident.
So Jerome buys his identity, uses his DNA,
his blood, his hair, his tissue, his urine,
to pass the screenings that happen on a daily
basis.
To impersonate him, he must put Jerome's blood
underneath his fingertips because they're
checked daily.
He must wear contact lenses with Jerome's
iris map on them.
Jerome's genetic profile lets him get into
the space academy.
There's no interview.
Imagine a world where you graduate from college,
there's no interview, they take a swab of
your cheek.
The whole process is done by DNA.
Those who get into the space program must
have the proper DNA.
He's selected.
He eventually goes on to manned space flight.
After two years of training and daily evading
the DNA police, the launch finally comes.
And he shows up, and he doesn't bring any
tissue, he thinks there won't be any more
testing.
But he's stopped one final time for a urine
test.
He hasn't brought anything with him.
How's he gonna get through?
The urinalysis uncovers he's not who he says
he is.
The doctor smiles at him, and says did I ever
tell you about my son?
He was born the old fashioned way.
He has imperfect DNA.
He wants to be like you, an astronaut.
Without another word, the doctor changes the
result, he lets Vincent go on and get on the
flight.
And when you hear this dystopia, it's easy
to say and to approach eugenics and to say
how awful.
We would never let that happen in our country.
But will we have the strength of character
to resist a world where eugenics is practiced
voluntarily?
Will we be sorry when we eliminate the disabled?
Will be sorry we eliminate those that have
premature deafness?
Such as Beethoven.
Will we be sorry when we eliminate those with
cerebral palsy?
Such as Christy Brown.
Christy Brown's story is fascinating.
He was born with profound cerebral palsy.
He only had control of his left foot.
It was uncertain whether he had any mental
capacity because he didn't speak.
The doctor's advised his parents to institutionalize
him.
His family was a big family loving family
in Dublin and they kept him around at home.
His brothers and sisters carted him around
the street in a wheelbarrow in their games.
And finally at the age of five, he picked
up some chalk with his left foot and wrote
the letter A on the floor.
He went on to become an author and a poet.
Are we prepared to select out the imperfect
among us?
What will be the limits?
Will we stop with disability?
Will we go on to select hair color, eye color,
IQ, height?
I hope we don't do height, I'm out of here.
Weight?
In the process, will we perhaps eliminate
something?
Some part of our humanness?
Some part of our specialness when we seek
perfection?
Will we be flying too close to the sun?
Will our search for perfection become an Icarus
moment?
Science offers us an amazing future.
In the past hundred years, we've gone from
nearly 50% mortality in childhood, to less
than 1%.
The average life expectancy at the turn of
the last century was 43.
I'm not against science, I'm a physician,
I'm for it.
But my hope though, is that we don't lose
our appreciation of the miracle that springs
forth from tiny strains of DNA.
Einstein said there were two ways to look
at life, to look at the world, we can either
look at life as if there are no miracles,
or we can look at life and see miracles everywhere.
I choose the ladder.
