Susan Wright

Susan Wright, a science historian who teaches at the University of Michigan, is the author of Molecular Politics. In the following viewpoint, she examines the history of genetic engineering and how its lack of legislative regulations and oversight has led to an industry that is out of control. While some of the products developed through genetic engineering are useful, Wright contends that many of them could be harmful to the environment, plants, animals, and humans. Genetically engineered evolution cannot easily be reversed, she asserts, so the only alternative is to educate the public about the dangers of genetic technology.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What was the result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Diamond v. Chakrabarty, according to Wright?
2. What does the Rural Advancement Fund International call “acts...