Scientists are on the cusp of developing new technologies that could radically change how we’re born and how we die. For instance, by tinkering with specific genes, we might be able to eliminate the risk of diabetes or Alzheimer’s disease. Most likely, we could also create smarter and more beautiful babies. But just because we can do it, should we? As you can imagine, this scientific frontier poses all kinds of thorny ethical questions. And for lots of people, it’s just plain wrong for humans to play God.
But Oxford University bioethicist Julian Savulescu has a different view. He says we have a moral obligation to use new technology to create the best possible children. Steve Paulson recently sat down with Savulescu to talk some of these hot-button issues, from eugenics to human cloning.
A version of this interview also appeared in Nautilus magazine.