We looked at genetics (Dawkins' "The Selfish Gene" a while back (see the archive Oct 2019 to Feb 2020) , and we wanted to explore more about epigenetics - see links to some materials below  We did get on to the ethics of genetic engineering, covering some of the issues in this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SrVeZBjDgQ.

On epigenetics, the point made was that there is much more than the genome influencing the development of an organism.  It is genes interacting with the environment through the whole life cycle.  Much could be learnt from the Dutch “Hongerwinter” of 1944-45 when 20,000 died from starvation when the Nazi’s blockaded the country.  Studies tracing the development of children conceived during the blockade showed significant differences between  groups depending on the trimester of their conception.  Further, there were significant differences between the children of those groups.  These may or may not have been transmitted, but recent studies have shown that some epigenetic changes may indeed be passed on to the next generation.

We moved on to questions of intervention and gene modification.  Should someone who is shown to be likely to pass on a genetic defect to their offspring refrain from having children?   Should they be prohibited?  Should first cousins be allowed to marry (this has been encouraged in some societies)?  We concluded that responsibility should remain with the individual but that it was important that we should all be educated to take in the facts and process them to make such decisions.  On genetic intervention, we thought it an extension of pharmaceutical treatments, but with a much greater uncertainty about side and ongoing effects.  Therefore it would be a reasonable choice to prevent near certain serious outcomes, but much more dubious to try to enhance intelligence, appearance or anything meant to promote life chances, given the range of factors and circumstances that affect these.  We were less concerned about GM food - vegetable or animal.