The Reality of Gattaca: Closer Than We Think?

In the movie GATTACA, the audience is shown a new, futuristic world, in which the genetics of any offspring can be changed and altered to create a genetically perfect child, known as a "valid". In this new society, having an embryo genetically altered, and then inserted into the uterus of the mother, much like IVF, is seen as the "normal" way to conceive, and the previously normal, now atypical "faith birth" wherein intercourse is the cause of conception, is frowned upon, as it produces genetically "invalid" children. Everything, from the gender of the child, to the colour of their hair, can be manipulated, and is rationalized by stating that the child is "Still you, just the very best of you". In this type of society, only the genotype is important, and all else is regarded. Morally and ethically, society knows realistically that perfection does not exist, and it is the flaws within humans that set us apart from other species.

The Human Genome project, a revolutionary study that spanned over 13 years, hoped to discover more about the DNA of humans. The study's main goal was to provide new information to help with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of genetic disorders. From the substantial amount of information and knowledge acquired from the project, new ways to test for genetic disorders, and the probabilities of inheriting disorders was gained. Gene testing, which involved taking a sample of a persons DNA, helped screen for a number of different disorders and problems. Before genetic testing, couples at risk of conceiving a child with a particular genetic disorder would have to initiate the pregnancy and then undergo the testing, faced with the dilemma of terminating the birth if the results weren't good. But because of the new technology available, with the combined effort of IVF, sperm and egg cells can be removed from both individuals, and the eggs would then be fertilized within a laboratory. The embryo's would then be tested for genetic mutations,