Muscles strong enough to knock over a tank. Eyes that see the night as clearly as the day. Perfect photographic memory. These types of human enhancements are found in video games like Halo 3 and other science fiction media. It seems that an average human being today will not be enough in the future. The demand for human improvement is widely present. Professional sports leagues allow the consumption of certain medications such as caffeine. Athletes are often caught abusing steroids to gain an advantage over other players and their stories serve as fodder for the media. Women resort to plastic surgery to enhance their physical features. But what about the future? But first, a brief history lesson is in order. In November 1972, Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen began collaborating to insert foreign DNA into bacteria so that it would produce human substances like insulin and HGH. They did so successfully. And in doing so, they invented genetic engineering (“pioneers of biotechnology”). Fast forward to today. Scientists began experimenting with genetically modified foods and animals in hopes of creating a more genetically perfect organism. As they continue to add knowledge to genetic engineering, whether in pursuit of personal or public benefit, genetic engineering will soon make it possible to create "designer babies." Thanks to advances in genetic engineering, parents will soon be able to design their babies the way fashion designers design their clothes. The transhumanist movement to improve genetic makeup seems reasonable, given humanity's illnesses like cancer and AIDS and disorders like mental retardation and social anxiety disorder. With genetic improvements, diseases will become the stuff of history textbooks and But according to Francis Fukuyama, transhumanism may not be born...... middle of paper ...... in any case, the majority of the debate remains presumptuous: people will never know until they try. Works Cited Bailey, Ronald. “Transhumanism: the most dangerous idea?” Reason.com. Reason.com, August 25, 2004. Web. November 30, 2009. “Biotechnology Pioneers Win Lemelson-MIT Prize.” » MIT. MIT, April 24, 1996. Web. December 2, 2009. Fukuyama, Francis. “The most dangerous ideas in the world.” Foreign Policy 2004: 42-43. My thread. Mywire, September 1, 2004. Web. November 30, 2009. Sandel, Michael J. The Case Against the Ethics of Perfection in the Age of Genetic Engineering. New York: Belknap, 2007. Print. Savulescu, Julian. The Oxford Handbook of Bioethics (Oxford Handbooks). Ed. Bonnie Steinbock. New York: Oxford UP, USA, 2007. Practical Ethics Resources. Oxford Uehiro, 2006. 516-535. Internet. November 30, 2009. Stock, Gregory. Rethinking humans, our inevitable genetic future. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Print.