Chinese geneticists are developing technology that will allow the next generation of Chinese children to become an order of magnitude smarter than their peers in other countries of the world.
The essence of the experiment is as follows. Researchers at BGI (China's largest center for genetic research) believe that intelligence determines 50 to 80 percent of heredity. The Chinese decided to collect genetic material from the most prominent intellectuals of our time in the hope of identifying the gene of giftedness. They already have DNA samples of two thousand world-famous scientists at their disposal. Based on this data, gene maps of people with a high IQ level are compiled.
If it is possible to identify the gene responsible for intellectual abilities, then geniuses can be selected already at the embryonic stage.
“Parents will have the opportunity to choose the best option among 50 potential offspring, bearing the optimal set of inherited traits,” says project manager Bowen Zhao. - This procedure will cost several thousand dollars. But this is nothing compared to the cost of studying at Harvard or Oxford. And the result is about the same.
The Chinese authorities regard this project as a matter of national importance. Geneticists from BGI have already received $ 1.5 billion for research. Beijing's logic is easy to understand: the average level of intelligence of each new generation can be raised by 5 - 15 IQ points. In two or three generations, the gap between the mental abilities of the Chinese and children from those countries where procreation is carried out in the good old-fashioned way will become catastrophic.
How will our grandchildren be able to compete with the Chinese in science or business, if they even have test tubes in the laboratory washed by people with the intelligence of Einstein, and the guys with Bill Gates' grip will sell pies? China will become the only superpower!
- In the West, the possibilities of geneticists are limited due to prohibitions related to ethical considerations. But Europe and America will have to follow in our footsteps, otherwise they will be on the sidelines of history, Zhao said.
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EXPERT COMMENTARY
Celestial Empire will become the cultural center of humanity
Joffrey MILLER, an evolutionary psychologist and lecturer at New York University, is one of two thousand scientific luminaries who have agreed to provide Chinese researchers with their genetic material.
“The practical application of the technology for genetic screening of embryos can be expected in five to ten years,” Miller says. “We are far behind China, because we are under the influence of ideological bias that tells us:“We must not interfere with nature, with the creation of God, there is some danger here! It will be much easier for the Chinese to incorporate research results into public policy.
Is China striving to gain world domination in this way? I don’t think so. China is returning to its place of the cultural center of humanity on the basis of historical justice. Europe enjoys a temporary advantage. Sooner or later, the country with the world's largest population will gain the corresponding influence.
COMPETENT OPINION
There is no gene for giftedness
How will the Chinese scientists' idea of switching to artificial selection backfire on humanity? Is it technically feasible? We talked about this with Svetlana Borinskaya, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Leading Researcher of the Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Institute of General Genetics named after V. I. N. I. Vavilov.
- Genes affect a variety of characteristics of people: eye color, nose shape, height, weight and intellectual ability. But the giftedness gene does not exist! - says Svetlana Borinskaya. - Because such a complex trait as intelligence cannot be determined by one genome. Even eye color is formed by several genes. The level of intelligence is determined by the combination of many genes. You can hardly find a simple scheme that will predict the level of intelligence.
And if we take not the general level of thinking, but individual qualities, for example, ability to mathematics?
- Let's take a simple sign - growth. The genes that influence it are known. But they do not set the sign unequivocally: the boy will grow to 182.3 cm! They only define certain boundaries of variations. And the intellect is much more susceptible to the conditions of education and environment. So far, our environment does not create conditions in which the genetic potential of most people can be realized. Someone was lucky: both genes are in order and the environment is favorable - they turned out to be gifted scientists. And if a child with the same set of genes went to school where the learning system did not contribute to the development of intelligence, then the potential is not realized.
A genius cannot be given birth to order. And the Olympic champion ?! Are qualities like speed and strength easier to figure out?
- Yes, there are genes that affect muscle structure. But it cannot be argued that a certain set of genes guarantees a child the title of a record holder. Rather, we can say: this combination will not give him the opportunity to succeed in a sport where short-term explosive efforts are needed - in a sprint, for example. But in long-distance running you can try. Because besides muscle structure, a champion must have many other qualities. Perseverance, reaction to stress, ability to recover, adaptation to high loads. Willpower finally …
The very idea of choosing the most competitive embryo for procreation - is it interesting?
- It is wiser to abandon non-viable embryos, which is what medical geneticists are doing now. Thanks to gene diagnostics on the island of Sardinia, where a mutation leading to a severe blood disease is widespread, the birth of sick children has decreased by 20 times. When it comes to health, gene diagnosis is essential. But when parents want to choose a baby by eye color or even gender … This will lead to unpredictable consequences.
In the same China, doctors were prohibited from conducting ultrasound to determine the sex of the child. If the parents found out that there would be a girl, the pregnancy was often terminated. As a result, there was a demographic imbalance: there are much more men in China than women …
- There is an imbalance, and it will contribute to the reduction of the population in China. But this is unlikely to make them happy. When in the country millions of men cannot find a wife, it is not very good.
By the way, about happiness. A gene was discovered that is responsible for the "paradise zone" in the brain associated with the sensation of pleasure. Maybe geneticists will be able to make humanity happy?
- Yes, we can determine whether a person is prone to depression or not. But when we find a gene or its absence, we can say that a person is 5 percent more likely to have depression. And the environment can aggravate this predisposition, or it can completely level it out! Recent studies prove that development is determined not only by the set of genes that parents gave their baby, but how active these genes are.
The conditions of upbringing in early childhood change their activity. There is a famous example of the massive appearance of deformities in the last century. There was such a sedative drug thalidomide. It is harmless to adults, but, as it turned out, disrupted the development of the embryo. In Europe, 10 thousand children were born who lacked long limb bones.
Horror
- This phenotype was known before, but it was extremely rare. But when the fetus was exposed to a chemical - the mother took several pills during pregnancy, the child was born as if he had a mutation, although the genes were completely in order. It is now known that people receive genes from their parents with different levels of activity.
In addition, chemical marks are placed on the DNA already during pregnancy and after birth, which affect the activity of the gene: turn it on or off. Today, this is a very fashionable line of research: how the environment affects the activity of genes. It has been proven that in childhood, the child's genetic apparatus is adjusted to the conditions of the environment.
Maybe it's easier to clone geniuses? Then you get an exact copy
- Firstly, in this case, the conditions of upbringing are much more important for genius. Secondly, we know a lot of examples when genius is combined with strong differences from the norm. For example, physicist Stephen Hawking, a severe illness did not prevent him from becoming a world famous scientist. Or the famous opera singer Thomas Quasthoff, whose mother took thalidomide. Finally, humanity is valuable for its diversity.
What is in demand today may not be needed when the environment changes. And it is changing rapidly. In recent years, many problems have arisen due to the mass production of food. For example, antibiotics are used in animal husbandry in a number of countries. Microbes that are not susceptible to the action of these drugs have appeared, and this is dangerous for humans.
This is of great concern to physicians. Cloning even the best specimens of today can create a population that is not viable in the future. By giving up genetic diversity, we are at great risk.