This is ‘What If,’
and here's what would happen if genetically modified people became the norm.
Many bacteria are able to combat viral infection with a defense system called CRISPR.
CRISPR records viral DNA that a bacteria's been exposed to,
and enables a protein complex called "Cas9"
to basically search for the viral DNA, and destroy it.
Enter Dr. Jennifer Doudna, who started researching CRISPR in 2005.
By 2012, she co-founded CRISPR-Cas9,
a life-changing technology that allows humans to edit genes.
As more research on CRISPR comes forward, so do new possibilities.
For genetically modified people to become the norm,
gene editing wouldn't only have to be legal,
it would have to be relatively affordable.
Some countries might even choose to subsidize it for life-saving medical procedures.
After all, technology like CRISPR-Cas9 may be able to be used
to prevent any genetic disease or disability we know of today.
The genes responsible for Huntington's disease or cystic fibrosis
could be wiped out, and prevented from being passed on.
Economics aside, every newborn could have the chance to live a normal, healthy life.
Imagine creating a super-race of people.
If everyone on the planet was genetically engineered
to be the strongest version of themselves,
would we still have competitions like the Olympics?
If we could modify the intelligence of everyone on Earth,
could we solve all of humanity's greatest challenges?
Could it finally be your turn to be Miss Universe or The Hulk?
When you use CRISPR to edit out unwanted genes,
you destroy thousands of DNA bases in one go.
Yes, CRISPR is pretty precise, but there's still a risk that you could
silence some genes that are meant to be active,
and activate genes that are meant to be dormant.
What researchers are finding is that, in trying to save yourself through gene editing,
you might just cut out a key anti-cancer mechanism.
Not only does CRISPR pose a cancer risk, but in reprogramming or rearranging DNA,
we might even end up creating new diseases.
Whether it's a new procedure, a routine operation, or an over-the-counter cold pill,
we tend to accept the risk of side effects or complications if it means getting better.
But with gene editing, don't you think that "getting better" might get a bit weird?
What happens when parents start to choose their kids'
height, eye color, hair color, skin pigment, or gender?
What happens when those with financial means
can buy better cures, better features, and ultimately better futures?
Well that future, if possible, is very far away.
CRISPR technology is still in its infancy.
And our understanding of genes is still too limited
to start choosing height or hair color at will.
Eye color, hair color, height, and other physical features
are associated with a combination of genes, not just one.
But forget science for a moment, ask yourself which is more important:
Pure, cold perfection? Or true, emotional human connection?
It might not be perfect, but it certainly can't be hacked.