Michio Kaku Documentary: A Growing Role of Biotech Revolution

A Bio-Tech Revolution is on the rise as mentioned by Michio Kaku in his Documentary with BBC FOUR entitled Biotech Revolution. A merger between Biology and Technology ranging from Medicine down to the very essence of life, genetics. The documentary was an eye-opening experience to what the future holds for our world given how massive it is. The power of technological improvement has not only affected the productivity of humans but their health too. The mere fact that you can determine the rate or give a percentile on what diseases a human is at risk of, shows how much modern-Medicine has improved. Ever since the discovery of the DNA and its components the power and information this genetic information can give has been of vital importance.

The Human Genome Project as mentioned in the documentary has been centered to improve how we can use the genetic material. The intensity that a human’s genetic code and makeup can be placed in a compact-disc would pose great improvements in medicine but would starta form discrimination called genetic discrimination. The improvement in Genetic Research came the discovery of killing rogue cells or hereditary/genetic based diseases and illnesses. One of which was the case of a boy named Alexander who had the Bubble Boy Syndrome with the intensity of the disease the boy’s parents were losing hope it wasn’t until with the help of genetic doctors who with the use of stem cell implants directly taken from the bone marrow of a donor who did not have the disease and planted it into Alexander’s bone marrow killing or shutting-off the rogue gene. The process was called gene therapy. What this would imply that many of the Major diseases that affect humans could possibly be shut-off. But with Alexander’s case, it was only a single gene that was the problem but for the more complex such as cancer it would also be possible, yet it would take longer time. Now the documentary has repeatedly stated that all research needed is intensive and massive but is doable.

As such, this resulted in the project to create an Encyclopedia of All Known Cancers to be started. This has greatly impressed me meaning that the common cancers can be cured in a matter of merely half a decade. This would also imply that majority of diseases would be eradicated within the next decade. But along with this improvement in genetic manipulation comes the dangers of manipulating ourselves and losing our humanity in a way that be redesigning who we are in the lowest form. Especially that in animal breeding cloning is already being done. In a sense this would lead to us in the future where we humans would have the power to play God. This is the scariest part of Advancements in any form. There would come a time where these improvements would be so immense that it might lead to our own destruction. The power of improvement is also the reason for destruction