1-900-Genomes
The Coming of Genetic Determinism
Ed Larson
October 1, 1996
The most frequently called 900 telephone number in the world is the "Psychic Friends Hotline" promoted by Dionne Warwick on cable tv. As the human genome project concludes its work over the next decade, however, Warwick and her psychic friends had better get |ready to take a back seat in the prognostication game to James Watson and his genetic counselors.
Watson, if you remember from biology class, was the brilliant co-discoverer of dna's double-helix structure and, more recently, the initial director of a mammoth twenty-year government-funded project to sequence the entire human genome. The project's goal is to identify what each of our millions of genes do—and they do a lot. Together, they serve as the blueprint for creating our material bodies and minds. If the role of each gene is known, then we can look for genetic anomalies that set people apart.
Almost every week news reports announce the discovery of more tell-tale genes. Within the last few months, for example, scientists have reported finding one gene associated with colon cancer, another with "creativity," and yet another with particular forms of mental illness. The human genome project is now well underway and has identified genes associated with hundreds of different genetic diseases, defects, and characteristics. And the pace of discovery is snowballing.
Physicians have already begun applying this new knowledge to diagnose some diseases. For example, a test is now available to determine if a person has the gene associated with Huntington's Disease. It is being used on persons from families plagued by that dread affliction. Family members found not to have the gene now know they are safe; those found to have it now know they will die young. There is no medical ...
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