Its Alive

The science fiction genre has produced many classics, be it through literature, film, and even radio. Many of these tales are commentaries on Man’s abuse of its scientific knowledge. The narratives generally center around scientists who through dangerous experimentation create mutant life forms. In Frankenstein a scientist creates a murderous humanoid by generating life from dead tissue. In The Fly a scientist experiments on himself and creates a human-insect hybrid. More recently, although not a classic like the others, I Am Legend relates the tale of a scientist (Will Smith) who cures cancer and nearly wipes out human civilization in the process. His antidote for cancer is a mutation of the measles virus, which ultimately kills the cancer survivors or mutates them into cannibalistic, vampire-like creatures. Frightening? Sure. But not as frightening as the scientific realities we face today.

As if the ability to clone humans or create human-animal hybrids is not harrowing enough, there is word that some of the chemicals we have been dumping on our environment are mutating the male endocrine systems of the animal kingdom . . . and possibly the human kingdom as well. According to Illinois doctor Joseph Mercola, “Various studies are indicating that unregulated chemicals released into the environment are causing male animals and humans to take on feminine characteristics.” (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/01/01/males-of-all-species-are-becoming-more-female.aspx) How bad has it gotten? “In British lowland rivers, 50 percent of male fish were found to be growing eggs in their testes. Hermaphrodite polar bears have also been born.”

Here are a few of the chemical culprits mentioned by Dr. Mercola:

$ Phthalates -- Exposure to phthalates can lead to incomplete testicular descent in fetuses. Phthalates are found in vinyl flooring, detergents, automotive plastics, soap, shampoo, deodorants, fragrances, hair spray, nail polish, plastic bags, food packaging, garden hoses, inflatable toys, blood-storage bags, and intravenous medical tubing.
$ Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) -- Known to be potent endocrine disrupters, these chemicals affect gene expression by turning on or off certain genes, and interfere with the way your glandular system works. They mimic the female hormone estrogen, and have been implicated as one reason behind some marine species switching from male to female.
$ Methoxychlor and Vinclozin-- An insecticide and a fungicide respectively, have been found to cause changes to male mice born for as many as four subsequent generations after the initial exposure.
Are chemicals like these responsible for the rise in human male infertility? Is it possible that these “gender-benders,” as Dr. Mercola calls them, could be responsible for what seems to be a growing homosexual population in western society?

There is a reason Pride is considered the sin from which all others are born. The hubris Adam displayed by eating from the Tree of Knowledge is the same arrogance that we exhibit when we haphazardly manipulate science. In our utilitarian world we believe that whatever can be done, should be done. Humility is in short supply. We push the envelope daily, disregarding the likelihood of unintended consequences.

How ironic would it be if we pushed ourselves into extinction?


Donald Tremblay