For this paper you must reply to this post and provide answers to the questions below. Since DNA is just a chemical, it can be manipulated like any other chemical, and changing the sequence of the order of the chemicals that come together to make your DNA is something that is entirely possible nowadays. Most of the food that we consume has been “genetically engineered”, and gene therapy in humans is on the cusp of medical acceptance. Most of us would say that the ability to alter the chemistry of a given group of cells’ DNA in order to program that group of cells to grow into new organs to replace nonfunctioning ones seems, at least on the surface, a good advance. However, if we determine what genes (certain segments of the DNA molecule) control various functions we may have the ability to alter many things about a person, for example, even before birth. QUESTIONS: What are the benefits of genetic engineering versus the potential risks? What are your personal thoughts on genetic engineering? Do you think genetic engineering provides useful information for the scientific investigation of our natural world or do you think that we should not “mess with Mother Nature”? Explain and support your position. If we could alter a person’s genes to cure autism and Down’s syndrome, for example, should we do it? What about curing baldness or bowed legs or other undesirable characteristics? What about mental characteristics? Should we engineer smarter people? Should we change people to make them less fearless or less paranoid? Who should be able to determine what things are allowed and what aren’t? Should the government be able to tell people they cannot engineer their children or should it be a personal choice? What if it weren’t engineering your children, but changing something about yourself?