Social and Historical Impacts of Scientific Discoveries

It is inevitable that as truth surfaces from science’s efforts, it will change our approach to a multitude of problems. Not just those directly related to science. These problems can range from politics to sociology. These past weeks while learning about the microbiome, brain, and genome editing, the impact that science has on the balance of human social and economic constructs is obvious.

Throughout my reading there were many examples of how recent scientific discoveries have shaped societal views as well as the economic market of the world. However, science’s reach is not just confined to economic and social constructs. It extends to fields such as politics, ethics, and of course, history. From a reductionist’s viewpoint, the shape of history since the Renaissance is framed by the scientific discoveries that molded the thought of world leaders since. The scientific discoveries regarding the microbiome and neurological development, brain disease, and genome editing technology have not only enhanced the pursuit of science. These discoveries have already and will go on to shape the humanities, economics, and art more than any scientist could have initially predicted. 

The study of the microbiome has resulted in information that may effect what is socially acceptable in the realm of child rearing. For example it has been shown that a mouse’s microbiome has a significant impact on post-natal neurological development. One of the most impactful findings from this study is the correlation between the early stage of post-natal development and susceptibility to the effects of a microbiome. This is important because it has implications for how we may raise our children. It may be inferred that a baby who is brought home to a sterile environment may be at a disadvantage in neurological development. Obviously, more research needs to be done in order to gain more evidence for this notion, but the evidence shown is compelling. How could this knowledge impact society’s views of  “correct” child rearing? In the past mothers have been taught that utmost cleanliness must be observed when a newborn arrives home.  But as more information and research into this topic develops, it could have a significant impact on the social construct of proper mothering.

While knowledge of the microbiome may effect what happens in the home, studies and findings regarding the brain have had a large impact on what happens on the football field. With the discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and it’s link to head trauma sustained in contact sports, the NFL has added over 47 new rules to protect players. For example, players are now penalized for any head to head hits. CTE is a degenerative brain disease that can develop due to repeated trauma to the head. The threat that it poses to players has prompted sports leagues at all levels to implement rules to prevent the development of disease. However, the effects of the discovery of CTE were not limited to just policy changes. The NFL initially battled the findings bitterly, knowing what impact it could have on their economic gains and potential loss of investors and viewers. However, luckily the story of the discovery is one of the triumph of scientific truth over powerful economic players, with the NFL ultimately taking a hit economically as public opinion mounted behind the findings.

The discovery of CTE profoundly influenced both the policy making and economics of pro and college football. But football is an isolated sector of society and economy. What would be the impacts of a technology that could impact generations upon generations of humans and healthcare economics? With the discovery of the CRISPR/Cas9 system the potential for germ-line genome editing (GGE) is now a serious possibility in our future. GGE would be used to change the actual germline of a developing fetus and thus, the changes induced by CRISPR would propagate for generations, not simply ending with the individual who underwent GGE. This raises a whole new field of genetic ethics and has enormous implications for the history of mankind. Is GGE ethical if the generations to follow have no choice in the decision? Could it potentially homogenize the human genome and make us vulnerable to future diseases? These are questions that must be taken into consideration, for they may determine the fate of humans on earth.

Even more pressing on my mind with the discovery of CRISPR, is the potential impact it could have on our history. The eugenics movement of the early 1900’s had a significant impact on Hitler’s ideology and justification for genetic “cleansing”.  Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., a Supreme Court justice stated in 1927, “three generations of imbeciles is enough.” He was referring to the idea that it was legally acceptable to sterilize the mentally deficient or criminally insane, for the overall benefit of the human gene pool. This idea was a manifestation of the overall movement of eugenics. I must admit, the possibility of CRISPR technology being used as a vehicle for moving the eugenics movement forward does make me shiver. Jennifer Doudna herself, the scientist responsible for discovering the CRISPR/Cas9 system, stated in an interview that she feared that her discovery could give more momentum and power to radical ideas stemming from eugenics. CRISPR could significantly empower this idea with how quickly and completely it can edit the human genome. Doudna said her greatest fear was that she had just given “Hitler the tool he had always dreamt of.” The potential impacts of this scientific discovery on world history are numerous and frankly unknown. Only time will tell how it will affect the balance currently present.

These examples of the microbiome, CTE, and the CRISPER/Cas9 system show that the societal ramifications of scientific discoveries are much broader and unpredictable than what could be initially ideated. Hopefully, we can be wise as a society in how we handle the truth that science is constantly bringing to the table.