Human Biotechnology: Responding to Emerging Dangerous New Human Genetics

As 2003 began, the mainstream press was grappling with a cloning hoax. This January, it launched extended coverage of the 50th anniversary of the identification of DNA's structure. Both events provided golden opportunities to deepen public understanding of the social and political implications of new human genetic and reproductive technologies.

Unfortunately, the media have mostly flubbed these opportunities. The coverage of the Raelians' cloning claims obscured rather than illuminated the critical issues. Early signs on the second media opportunity-a series of carefully planned celebrations throughout the spring-are none too promising. Fortunately, a civil society response to dangerous new human genetic and reproductive technologies is emerging in a number of countries, as witnessed at January's World Social Forum in Brazil.

The year's first human biotechnology media frenzy actually began at the end of December 2002, when a previously obscure alien-chasing sect announced that its scientists had produced the world's first human clone. The initial news reaction appropriately focused on whether the claim could be true. But by the time the Raelians' excuses as to why they were unable to show the...