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just a thought. Would we have Stephen Hawking today?
If Mendel was focused on during his time by the scientific community, giving raise to genetic engineering prematurely, it seems likely that some of the focus of physics would have been diverted. In this case the lessons we learned from Fat Man and Little Boy might have been learned in a different way*. Would we have a Hawking today?
*to clarify...
We dropped the atomic bombs to end a war. Would we, being more learned in genetics and immunology, have decide to spread a sickness?
Furthermore, the question of Hawking's existence;
Even without a war, or especially so, would we have learned to be wary of our technology that lead to understand that technology has lasting effects. Without this knowledge the aim may be to engineer our species, even now with that understanding some press for this, and eliminate genes from the gene pool. It would seem to make sense with 'genetiforming' a culture as the aim to select the best physical traits, This would be a natural move, along with intelligence and health of course. Combinations that mix just right to provide a unique mind can be a delicate blend. Someone's physical traits play a large role in their societal surroundings, and therefore mannerisms, along with their reasoning. So in this scenario, would we have bred out Hawking? Or will we...
Sharon McCann
We will soon be able to medicate away many mental health issues which lead to art and sometimes science. We would be able to prevent the very birth of people who might have these "defects". I know people who believe that Asperger's syndrome is an early manifestation of human evolution to a new human. We should all be very wary of an ability we cannot yet comprehend.