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<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIn two hours, with humor and clarity, Panchin not only introduced the audience to the latest scientific breakthroughs, but also explained basic concepts\u2014DNA structure, the Dolly the sheep experiment, and how different countries regulate scientific progress. He made sure not to assume everyone in the room was a biologist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also touched on practical uses of genetic experimentation\u2014for example, how a virus shell that can enter a specific organ might be used to deliver medication directly to that site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scientists, Panchin said, are doing phenomenal things\u2014intervening in the very fabric of life, in the DNA molecule itself\u2014and he showed how elegantly they can alter the rules of genetic complementarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It seemed no one in the room disputed the value of scientific progress. Still, audience polls sometimes yielded surprising results. When asked whether a scientist should face prison for conducting unnecessary (but non-harmful) research, the winning answer was unexpectedly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“God will judge him”\u2014and the audience burst into laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also spoke about prenatal\u2014or perhaps pre-prenatal\u2014genetic engineering: such as creating a child from three parents by replacing a faulty part of a cell with a healthy one from a third donor. He described experimental mice born from two males\u2014though a female was still needed to carry the pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Artificial wombs were also discussed (accompanied by a slide of a hoofed fetus inside a complex plastic bag). They work, but current technology only shortens pregnancy by about three months; it can\u2019t yet replace the entire process. Why not? \u201cWe don\u2019t know yet,\u201d Panchin said. \u201cOnly theories exist so far.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Naturally, the audience had questions. One asked: who\u2019s to say these brilliant genetic ideas weren\u2019t implanted in scientists\u2019 minds by God Himself? Another asked where the moral and ethical lines of experimentation should be drawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Panchin responded thoughtfully, especially regarding genetic testing for prospective parents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRoutine tests cover the vast majority of genetic disorders. There are rare ones\u2014you can do full genome screening and consult a specialist to check for anything unusual. It costs about $1,000, which isn\u2019t much, considering the cost of childbirth and raising a child. The question is: how much is that worth to you? Maybe those same funds would be better spent on education or healthcare for your future child.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a media outlet focused on culture and the arts, we couldn\u2019t resist asking Panchin about talent and science:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014If we manipulate the brain, can we create a Titian?
\u2014Of course, genetics can influence abilities, including creative ones. But we don\u2019t know how to tweak the brain to turn someone into a da Vinci. That\u2019s the problem\u2014everyone\u2019s neural connections are different. We don\u2019t know how neurons are interconnected in one person, let alone how to combine two people\u2019s neural networks. Even their total neuron counts may differ.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n