The first child (McKibben)
May 15th, 2007 | Published in Genetic Engineering, Progress, Quotes, Science
The first child whose genes come at least in part from some corporate lab, the first child who has been “enhanced” from that came before—that’s the first child who will glance back over his shoulder and see a gap between himself and human history.
But here’s the really awful part: he won’t be able to look forward, either. He won’t be able to imagine himself connected with those who will come after him. Because, of course, by then there will be better upgrades. They’ll be Windows 2050 to his Atari. He’ll be marooned forever on his own small island, as will all who follow him.
–Bill McKibben, Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age (2003), 64-5