Genetic modified foods are an example of accelerated evolution. Traditional, natural evolution that occurs in nature is a slow, long, and timely process. In the pass 50 years in biology, advances in genetics have provided mankind opportunities to modify the very structure of our foods, planets, and animals. These deliberate, artificial mutations are meant to find valuable genes to help solve world problems.BBC news reports scientist in the US and Finland have found the gene that regulates water containment and carbon dioxide absorption in plants. We as humans have become another essential mechanism in nature’s natural selection process and evolution of species.
We transform environments in blinding speeds, and many times species do not have the equipment or time to adapt. The advantage of our intervention is we can introduce changes in plants or animals DNA to adapt to ever-changing environments, allowing certain species to thrive.
The criticism will come from people who argue, “you’re playing God. You don’t know what will happen.” The Frankenstein scenario.
However, this is why scientist do many fail experiments to refine the final product. They understand the risk involved and this is why products like drugs, or new seed version is not introduce until many years and many dollars.
Furthermore, farming through many fail selection of crops arrived at one that is very productive and yields more tonnage. This is done through many techniques such as traditional cross-pollination–changing and rearranging DNA of crops. Since the days of the Neolithic Revolution, humans’ intervention in plants has been with us since early civilization. So is farming playing God?
A merit to their argument is if some plants out-do others, then the system of ecology is disrupted and unbalanced by the clear advantage of one species. This may create a bit of chaos, and as a consequence, some in the food web may die off–hurting us, or biting us in the ass.
What I am waiting for in something that will make me into a X-Men. Unlike in the universe of marvel comics, I would not hide my superpowers. I would declare my superiority of the human species and proceed to walk with a very cocky smile.
