The Human Genome Project
Started in 1990, the Human Genome Project was a quest for scientists to map out the entire human genome — something that had never been done before.
The genome is a series of genetic data made up of proteins that code for every characteristic of the human makeup. This project was a monumental task not only because there are some 3 billion pairs of proteins that make up the genome, but also because at the time it was started computer sequencing was not yet developed and the scientists had to translate the code by hand.
When Professor Maynard Olson showed up to the genetics lab with a computer under one arm — it was a game changer. The genome was once thought to be too complex to reassemble in computer language. But scientists realized that it was similar to a binary code, one with four digits instead of two, C, T, A, and G which each represent a certain protein used in DNA. This successful melding of biology with computer technology utilized the incredible accuracy computers are so capable of.
This deeper knowledge of the human genome altered the way medicine was practiced for the rest of time. We now have a greater understanding of how life works and how disease occurs — and we now have a path for early detection of diseases like cancer.
The use of the information gathered through this project set the standard for information sharing in the scientific community. Bill Clinton, who was the US President at the time, said, “It would have been virtually criminal to try to hoard discoveries that meant the difference in life and death for people.”
While biotechnological advances are excellent for our society, how far do we let computers go in this field? Artificial intelligence is no longer something of the future — it is here today.
SYBIL, an artificial intelligence program developed at MIT, is now being used to detect cancers that were previously undetectable — a tool that is incredibly valuable. But when these tools are used in high risk areas such as healthcare we have to avoid unintended consequences.
In our first novel, ‘Adam in Taoland’, Adam works in the field of medical engineering using similar technology as first used in the human genome project — along with the judicious application of AI. His project, SuperCyberX3, creates a new technology that analyzes data to expedite the detection of ever-emerging cancer variants, at earliest onset, via simple blood tests. In the process, Adam’s unique background of growing up in a society dominated by AI-controlled robots gives him the insight needed to ensure that AI does not become out of control in Taoland.
Naturally humans want to embrace AI advancement. This can be a beneficial thing to our society. But the use of AI must come with restrictions. We should encourage the growth of technology while continuing to maintain the morals and ethics and freedom of thought we cling to — all that make us uniquely human.
