Fat Chicken

Throughout human history, one could say science is a relatively new subject. For the thousands of years we, as humans, have been on this planet, science only recently emerged a few hundred years ago. With this rapid increase in scientific development, when will it be too much?

In Chet Raymo's essay "A Measure of Restraint," he warns us about the potential dangers of scientific discovery. His first two examples are from the past; both cesium-137 and radium caused multiple injuries because of their radiation emissions. His final example, however, is the most relevant to our lives today. Genetic engineering is like a baby in science; it's only been around for about 30 years. In Raymo's other examples, the initial discovery of the elements were initially cherished with joy, only to have severe consequences later on. Could this also hold true for genetic engineering? 

Today, genetic engineering has been used for countless means. For example, the food industry has genetically modified their chickens to grow fatter, leaving them too heavy to stand. These chickens live lives of despair as they are born to die.

When will science cross the fine line between ethics and the thirst for advancement? In Raymo's final sentence he warms, "The unexamined quest for knowledge is hemmed with peril" (11). We may not know that we have gone too far until it's too late.