Review 2: The Genome Project

Looking for the genetic reasons of the different intellectual capacities of human beings will lead us to answer many of the the big and difficult questions that have troubled people for hundred of years. But those answers may not be easy to understand and accept. Many new moral dilemas would arise as a consequence and would help to establish the ethical, legal and social components of the Genome Project.
The reknown Genome Project, will soon make possible to read individual genetic messages at a cost which will not bankrupt our health systems. In so doing, we will see wether changes in the DNA sequences from peolpe to people result in our behaviour and capacity differences. One of the main reasons why scientists are willing to answer that, is in order to understand certain patterns of human attitudes. As example, a research mentioned that one in three people looking for a job in temporary employment in LA is a psychopath or a sociopath. And in finding out the extent in which genes influence behaviour, scientists shall also be able to understand how them also influence intellectual capacities. By these days, the Genome Project is working around gene-caused failures in the brain development that frequently leads to Autism and Schizophrenia. Scientists want to find out if differences registered in brain development genes also lead to differences in our abilities to carry out different mental tasks. In some cases, how these genes function may help us to understand variation in IQ, or why some people excel at poetry but are terible at maths. The same genes that give people great mathematical abilities may also cause them to have autistic behaviour. This is why, in studing Autism and Schisophrenia, scientist believe that they shall come very close to a better understanding of inteligence and , therefore, differences in human capacities.
We do not yet adequatly understand the way in which nature have selected over time, the genes which determine our capacity to do different thinghs. The overwelming desire of society nowadays, is to assume that equal power of reason is an universal heritage of humanity. But simply wanting this to be the case is not enough. It is necessary to seek for individual differences, about why some of us are great musicians and others great ingenieers. It is very likely that at least some 10 to 15 years will pass, before we get an adequate understanding for the relative importance of nature in the achievement of human objectives.

Gabriela Garcia Fernandez

Article's Title: To question genetic intelligence is not racism
Author: James Watson
Date of Publication: 19 October 2007
Source: http:/comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article3075642.ece
www.independent.co.uk