Designer Babies: A Theoretical Analysis

James Gallagher, a health editor for BBC News which is ranked as one of the most objective and credible U.S news sources, constructed an article called “Designer babies' debate should start, scientists say” (January 15, 2015). Within this source, Gallagher claims that leading scientists have told BBC that based on the current progress in the understanding of genetics, society needs to be prepared to come to terms with the ethics that surround the concept. In order to provide foundation for his argument, Gallagher brings up questionably unethical scenarios relating to designer babies, and adds what some scientists that work closely with genetics have to say about the topic. For instance, Gallagher added the opinion of Dr. Tony Perry, a professor
of biology at the University of Bath, on the concept of altering a embryo’s genes for beauty purposes for which Perry explains that it is now scientifically possible, but that humans need to be cautious. The main purpose of this article was to bring to people’s attention to the fast approaching reality of Designer Babies, and to show them just how controversial the ethics of it truly is. The intended audience of this article was society as a whole since the argument was basically a call for debate due to the near approaching possibilities relating to genetics. This source was issued in a reliable news source, which adds to its credibility. It was also constructed by a health editor who particularly specializes in reporting health-related topics, allowing him to be considered dependable for describing the current progression in genetics, and what the scientific community believes society needs to do about it. The author also uses opinions from experienced doctors and scientists within the realms of topics relating to designer babies, which adds significant, credible insight into his claim. Finally, Gallagher brings up both sides of ethics revolving around genetically modified embryos, which erases any bias and makes this article increasingly reliable. In comparison to the other sources I have found, this article is more useful for my project because it has further credibility and does not focus on just one particular side of the ethical debate on designer babies. I could potentially utilize this source in my project by using the scientist’s opinions given to show their different perspectives on the concept. This article has also altered my own opinion on designer babies by emphasizing both sides of the ethical argument, which allows me to highly consider whether I should be against or for this futuristic subject matter at hand.