GMAs: Genetically Modified Athletes
Athletic talent might be about to become far less god-given. Almost a decade and a half after the human genome was first sequenced, we are on the cusp of the genetic revolution. Screening a person's DNA for hundreds of thousands of variants can now be done quickly for minimal cost, full genome sequencing of each person's three billion DNA base pairs is not far behind that, and a new technique called CRISPR has made accurate gene editing both cheap and simple. These technologies may drastically change the way we treat, and cure, disease, but like other medical advances they will surely be used and abused in sports. How do these work, what can they do, and how can we ensure sports remain fair?
Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.