Novus

If you were given the chance to become a new and improved "super-human", would you take it? Perhaps the gift of flight, x-ray vision, or lightning-quick speed? Ok, those are a little too superhero-ish. But what about a more intelligent, quick-witted brain? Or a healthier genome, devoid of cancer or Alzheimer's? Maybe a more muscular build with lower cholesterol? This could be our future.

Maybe don't invest in shirts with these logos.

One of my favorite TED Talks is by Dr. Harvey Fineberg, in which he talks about the promising (albeit a bit unsettling) future of what he calls "Neo-evolution". A possible future is on the horizon where we humans will actually be able to guide our own selection, shifting allele frequencies towards "desirable" and "healthier" traits. Is this ethical? The jury is still out. Should we be tinkering with the Human Genome? If we can do it safely and effectively, shouldn't we consider it as a viable, proactive, medical approach to increasing quality of life?

I find the possibilities incredibly inspiring. After all, techniques are already being used to donate new mitochondria to zygotes in order to end the chain of inheritance of mitochondrial disorders. These are not "three-parent babies" in a literal sense. They are still a product of 46 chromosomes, with 23 from the mother and 23 from the father...they just have donor mitochondria added early on to eradicate a disease. No different than any organ transplant, really. Simply amazing. To steal a quote from Dr. Fineberg: "Who doesn't want healthier children?"

Directions for anyone that raised their hand.

In my world of "Chronica Novus", I imagine an even larger role for Neo-evolution...a role that persists into the exploration of other planets and contact with intelligent alien life. NASA's announcement of Trappist-1 earlier this week really got my gears turning. What if future humans could genetically engineer their genomes to help them not just live better Earthly lives, but also to thrive in colonies on other planets? Maybe there is even intelligent life out there that would want to work with us to colonize a "New Earth", or as I call it, "Novus" (Latin for "new"). My envisioned book series would chronicle the future of humanity on Earth, alien contact, and establishing a second home on an exoplanet with alien help (albeit with some major roadblocks...both human and alien...along the way). It all seems pretty cool in my mind.

"Novus" also sounds cooler than "f".

Even as I type this, my mind is churning about ways to incorporate my intrigue for genetics with my excitement for Trappist-1. Knowing a real system exists only 39.5 light years away really gets my creative juices flowing on overdrive.