Proponents of genetic engineering claim that the technology promises enormous benefits for medicine, agriculture, and industry. Yet, like nuclear power, biotechnology has aroused considerable public concern because it is perceived by many as an unpredictable—and hence dangerous—technology.

Science critic Jeremy Rifkin warns that “whenever a genetically engineered organism is released, there is always a small chance that it . . . will run amok because, like non- indigenous species, it has been artificially introduced into a complex environment. . . . While there is only a small chance of it triggering an environmental explosion, if it does, the consequences could be significant and irreversible.” Bioethicist Leon Kass warns that the genetic engineering of humans is very different from other medical treatments: “Medicine treats only existing individuals, and it treats them only remedially, seeking to correct deviations from a more or...