1 - A Momentous Time for Humankind

Summary

The opening chapter introduces the reader to the ongoing genome-editing revolution, which is spearheaded by the discovery of CRISPR. To set the appropriate context for the book, the chapter discusses human ingenuity, its presence throughout the history of civilization, and the power it holds to transform the world. The chapter lays out a foundation on which to argue that transformative technologies—such as the printing press, the Internet, nuclear weapons, and other technological feats that induced massive cultural and social change—share a common modus operandi. This exposition aims to help the audience grasp the significance of having access to the specialized tools required to rationally manipulate the genetic composition of living organisms. The chapter provides a high-level overview of the book’s contributions to the literature and discusses the importance of interdisciplinary inquiry to bridge gaps between science, law, and policy.

The introduction’s core purpose is to emphasize to the reader that the potential impact of genome editing is likely to be on par with—if not greater than—the discovery of nuclear fission, which led to the development of nuclear weapons, or the advent of modern computing, which spawned the era of worldwide communications via the Internet.