Great Country Academician

Chapter 335 Pandora's Box - Gene Editing

Watching Qiu Chengtong stand up and deduce mathematics on the blackboard, Xu Chuan also stood up and watched from behind.

A top mathematician's derivation of a world-class problem has extremely high academic value even for him.

What's more, this is still in the purely mathematical field of number theory.

After concentrating on it for a while, suddenly, a mobile phone rang in the office.

Xu Chuan was taken aback, and after realizing it, he quickly took out the phone from his pocket, it was the girl Xu Xiao who called.

Glancing at Qiu Chengtong who was still checking the formula, Xu Chuan decisively and quickly hung up the phone. Then he sent her a message telling her where he was.

Being interrupted when inspiration comes is probably the most frustrating thing for a scholar.

Fortunately, it seems that he should not be affected.

After watching for a while and estimating the time, Xu Chuan exited the office just in time to bump into Xu Xiao who came to look for him.

"Brother!"

Seeing Xu Chuan, Xu Xiao ran over in surprise.

Xu Chuan stretched out his index finger and gestured in front of his lips to silence, and said softly with a smile: "Let's go, Mr. Qiu is doing research, so don't go in and disturb him."

With that said, he took Xu Xiao and left the Qiu Chengtong Mathematics Center.

"Brother! I saw the news, you have become an academician! That's amazing!"

After leaving the building, Xu Xiao immediately jumped up.

Xu Chuan smiled and said, "You have to work hard too."

"Of course." Xu Xiao nodded vigorously, and continued, "Brother, I want milk tea! Buy it for me!"

Xu Chuan laughed dumbly, and said, "You are not short of money."

He doesn't know how much this girl's monthly living expenses are, but it will definitely not be low, and she entered Mizuki with silver and gold medals in international competitions and international biology competitions, and there will be no less scholarships and bursaries every year. .

It is no exaggeration to say that at her age, she is considered a proper little rich woman.

Xu Xiao shook his head and said, "It can be the same."

Xu Chuan shook his head with a smile, and said, "Let's go, take you to buy."

My own sister, what else can I do?

Shuimu University, on the rattan chair at the entrance of the milk tea shop, Xu Xiao was holding a cup of milk tea and sipping it with a happy face.

Xu Chuan looked at the milk tea in his hand, a little dumbfounded.

He doesn't really understand, what's so good about this thing.

"Brother, do you think it is possible for a human to grow wings and fly to the sky?" Sipping milk tea, Xu Xiao rolled his dark eyes and asked his elder brother.

Hearing this question, Xu Chuan was stunned for a moment, then asked with a smile, "Why do you think this?"

Xu Xiao supported his little head with his arms, and said in fantasy: "In history, there are many legends about gods and so on. They all have wings and can go to the sea."

Xu Chuan shook his head with a smile, and said, "You are already a sophomore, and you can also enter the laboratory to do experiments and study. You are already on the road of scientific research. Why do you still believe in these fairy tales?"

Xu Xiao turned his head to take a look, and then said: "Whoever said it must be a myth."

After a pause, she continued: "When we were in class a few days ago, we just finished the course of DNA genetic information and gene editing."

"I was thinking, if we can find the DNA fragments that grow wings in those birds and graft them into humans, will it be possible for humans to grow wings as well."

"The fairies and angels with wings in those fairy tales in the past may have come out in this way."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan was stunned again, and said, "You are too far-fetched."

After a pause, he seemed to think of something again, and slowly sat up straight, looking at his younger sister.

Being stared at by him, Xu Xiao looked over keenly, and met his brother's serious gaze and expression.

"What's the matter? Brother." Xu Xiao asked weakly, meeting his brother's serious gaze.

Xu Chuan took a deep breath, and said seriously: "Xu Xiao, you have to remember that the genetic modification and editing of the human body is explicitly prohibited by the state. This is against the law, and it is a bottom line that cannot be touched."

"The human genetic experiment is a Pandora's box. It is not as simple as double eyelid cutting, nor is it "one willing to fight and one willing to suffer". It is related to the pedigree of human genes, it is related to everyone, and it also contains ethical risk."

"The biggest difference between it and somatic cell gene therapy is that if it fails, it will directly affect the next generation, or even children and grandchildren. Because they will be inherited with the embryo's genes, there will be endless shortages."

"Even if this is just an experimental operation! The impact is not just on a person's life or the integrity of a family, but may affect countless people in the future!"

"No matter how far you go on the academic road in the future, don't touch this kind of experiment!"

"Do you remember?"

Xu Xiao swallowed nervously and nodded.

It was the first time she saw the look in Xu Chuan's eyes when she spoke just now, as if she had made a big mistake.

Xu Chuan breathed a sigh of relief, relaxed his posture, and continued: "Curiosity and exploration are the most basic spirits a scientific researcher should have. But as a scientific researcher, you should always grasp what can be done, What can't be done."

"If you can find a path in biology, what you should do is to lead civilization forward, not to lead it into a path that you don't know whether it is destruction or the future."

"Perhaps in the distant future, when human civilization begins to set foot on alien planets and walk out of the earth, some people will do these things, and it may be unavoidable."

"But at least for now, don't touch it, open this Pandora's box."

To be honest, Xu Chuan's perception of the technology of genetic modification is actually very complicated.

The first is that the technology of gene editing is like a Pandora's box, opening it is very likely to lead to catastrophic or even devastating consequences.

This point can be known after a little thought.

But to say that he completely opposed it, he actually didn't.

Because history is like a wheel, always rolling forward.

If one day in the future, human civilization on earth has the ability to enter the universe and travel to other planets, may encounter other civilizations, and may also increase various knowledge with the development of science and technology, then the human body will have extremely Big ones can be the biggest hindrance.

The lifespan of more than a hundred years, the limitation of brain development, and the body that only adapts to the ecological environment of the earth are all fatal flaws for a space civilization.

Fortunately, the latter can be solved through various technologies or other means.

As for the former, to be honest, lifespan actually limits the development of human technology to a certain extent.

It's very simple, because with the development of science and technology, human civilization has accumulated more and more knowledge.

For example, a century ago, the world of mathematics could produce an all-round mathematician like Poincaré, but today, a century later, neither he nor Tao Terence can be called a universal mathematician.

Not because they are less intelligent than people like Poincaré, but because they have so much to learn now.

Every day that passes by, the various knowledge accumulated by human beings will increase by one point. Accumulated over time, this is already a rather huge number.

But in a person's life, the golden age of scientific research is basically before the age of forty.

After the age of forty, it can be said that it is difficult to make any major breakthroughs.

Today's Ph.D., under normal circumstances, can only be graduated when the study age is over 30 years old, and those who can advance to the Ph.D. stage can already be the top group of human beings.

It's all so difficult, what will happen in a few decades?

With the development of science and technology, when the accumulation of knowledge has exceeded the lifespan of a person, but a person cannot complete the knowledge of a field in his lifetime, let alone make a breakthrough, will anyone be tempted by gene editing technology?

He didn't know how to answer this question either.

After thinking for a while, Xu Chuan shook his head and put aside these thoughts in his mind.

He looked at Xu Xiao, and continued: "If you are interested in flying into the sky, I have a suggestion and direction."

Xu Xiao asked curiously: "Huh? What?"

Xu Chuan smiled and said, "Virtual reality."

Xu Xiao looked at his elder brother in doubt, and said, "Virtual reality? Isn't that a technology majored in electronic information engineering? How does it have something to do with biology?"

After a pause, she added: "Besides, I heard that this technology is used to defraud money."

Xu Chuan said with a smile: "No, although it is a technology under the major of electronic information, its essence cannot be separated from the support of biology."

Xu Xiao looked at his elder brother with interest, and said, "How do you say it?"

Xu Chuan thought for a while, and after sorting out his thoughts, he continued: "The so-called virtual reality technology refers to the realization of a realistic three-dimensional visual, tactile, olfactory and other virtual reality through computer, electronic information, simulation technology and other means. world, so that people in the virtual world can have an immersive technology.”

"At present, the current virtualization of this technology is achieved by simulating the virtual world in the computer through head-mounted displays, visual stimulation and auxiliary equipment, and deceiving sensory organs such as eyes, ears, hands, nose, and mouth."

"In addition, this technology is just emerging and immature, so it seems a bit like PPT money-making."

"That's not the case with real virtual reality though."

"It is like a virtual helmet in a science fiction movie. It can read and interact with the brain waves of the human brain through virtual devices, so as to bypass the secondary nervous systems of human eyes, ears, and body sensations, and achieve a completely virtual state. of."

"In this technology, a key point is how to realize the interaction between virtual devices and human brain waves."

"At present, the scientific community can only read brain waves and decompose them into various data information for the time being, but this is just the beginning."

"Because the forms that human brain waves can display are very complex and difficult to interpret. And how to synthesize visual, auditory, force, and tactile sensory information through virtual devices is also a difficult step for the brain to receive."

"If this can be solved, maybe real virtual technology can be realized."

"At that time, if you want to fly to the sky, blow up a planet with one punch, you can experience it in the virtual game."

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