Whether you have an IQ of 50 or 150, we all like to feel smart. After all, the minds of
intelligent people like Einstein, Tesla or Stephen Hawking have no doubt helped shape
the world we live in. So is it feasible that we could genetically improve the intelligence
of our entire species?
DNA is the basic code of life found in every living organism. And this DNA is made up of
genes, which, in turn, are made up 4 smaller parts called nucleobases, represented by the
letters A, T, G and C. In humans, these bases are arranged as 3 billion pairs, which essentially
act as a blueprint for everything the cells in your body need to do. Literally all that
you are - from the way you look and act - is defined
by the organization of these 4 biological compounds.
And scientists have been able to find connections between the way genes are organized, and certain traits
you exhibit - from your sex, to your eye colour and even diseases you may develop.
It was actually the Human Genome Project which first began to analyze and map all the genes
in the human body. The initial project took over a decade and 3 billion dollars to complete,
with teams across the entire globe working together. Today, with a much smaller team,
the same could be accomplished in a few days...for only $4000.
And the more sequenced genomes we accumulate - whether it be from plants, microbes or humans
- the more we have to compare and contrast the traits we see on the outside, with the
gene combinations we find on the inside. And that is exactly what the Cognitive Genomics
Project hopes to achieve.
By using over 2000 people with IQs over 150, and plans to bring
on 20,000 more subjects, researchers at the BGI institute in China are looking at the
genetic basis for intelligence. In other words, they are scanning through the DNA of thousands
of intelligent people, to look for patterns that may be responsible for making them smart
in the first place.
Of course, this is a much more complicated task than looking for, say, a disease pattern.
Tay-Sachs and Huntington's disease are both caused by a single gene-mutation, and are
easily recognized. Hair and eye colour, on the other hand, depend on multiple genes interacting
- though, with proper analysis it can still be predicted. But traits like personality
or intelligence are almost certainly the result of thousands of genes interacting in unique
ways - a pattern which scientists have yet to discover. And the truth is, they may never
find one.
But what happens if they do? I mean, it could mean a future of genius babies! With the advent of in vitro
fertilization, you might be able to create multiple embryos, and scan their DNA. Scientists
would then be able to identify which traits are most likely in each embryo, based on their
genes, allowing parents to essentially choose which baby they most desire.
For example, this embryo has a 50% chance of being exceptionally musical, or this one has a 58% chance of having
an IQ over 150. In this way, without actually changing the genetic information, but rather
screening it, we may actually be able to increase the intelligence of future generations.
But what about you? Could you ever change your genetic makeup to make you smarter, faster,
or stronger right now?
Follow us over to Jake's channel Vsauce3 where we explain how it might be possible.
Click here or use the link in the description.
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