These genetic crusaders view themselves as pioneers in a new age of enlightenment—specifically, reductionist enlightenment. Genes, in the genetic crusaders’ view, are simply human software. Just as a good programmer can read code and predict exactly what the program will do, eventually we’ll be able to look at genes and predict exactly what diseases we’ll develop, perhaps even what emotions we’ll experience from moment to moment. The problem is, we can’t. Genes tell us what may happen, but not if or how. The increasing fascination with and funding of genetic technology is simply another
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