The man on the moon, immortality, and other millennial myths: the prospects and perils of human genetic engineering.

The year 2000 provides an opportunity to reflect on the past 1000 years, and speculate on human life in the next 1000 years. This exercise forces us to think seriously about what is unique and special about being human, and what human traits must be preserved to preserve humanity itself. Using the major historical events of the past 1000 years, but concentrating on three in the last 50 years, World War II, the moon landing, and the prospect of human genetic engineering, I argue that the major human accomplishment of the past millennium has the development of universal human rights based on human dignity. The misuse of science, most obviously in World War II by the Nazis, but also with chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, threatens not only these human rights, but our very survival as a species. Weapons of mass destruction are direct threats. But there are scientific developments that appear much more benign that are actually more likely to result in genocide. The most crucial of these is genetic engineering, and it is suggested that if we are successful in engineering a "superior" human. We constantly compare the new genetics to "putting a man on the moon", but if history is a guide, this genetic engineering will not lead to a sterile publicity stunt like the moon landing, but instead will inevitably lead to genocide: the "inferiors" killing off the "superiors" or vice-versa. Suggestions for international action to avert genetic genocide are made, including an international treaty banning specific "species altering" techniques and species-endangering experiments, complete with an oversight and enforcement mechanism. Specific treaty language remains to be written, but the overall goal is to develop a mechanism to put humans in charge of a science now grown so powerful that its fruits threatens the very survival of our species, rather than simply letting well-intentioned scientists continue to lead us down the path of species suicide in the name of individual immortality.