Project

The Genetic Revolution

Overview

The Academy sponsored a conference on genetic engineering, examining both the risks and possible benefits. Participants included scientists, political scientists, a lawyer, and representatives of public and non-profit agencies. The resulting volume of papers concentrates on the scientific principles required to understand the issues that lie at the core of public concern and, therefore, of policy development. The authors agreed that public understanding and consensus is required when balancing scientific risks and moral, social, or psychological concerns against possible benefits of genetic engineering. A realistic public policy must deal with probabilities rather than seeking an unattainable absolute security.

Resulting Publication

  • The Genetic Revolution: Scientific Prospects and Public Perceptions, ed. Bernard D. Davis. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991. (out of print)
People

People

Principal Investigator