The Gene: An Intimate History — My First Thoughts

Introduction

I first learned about Siddartha Mukherjee by reading a fantastic New Yorker article about the need to measure and determine the impact of viral loads when evaluating patients who have been affected by the coronavirus.

His argument was simple, it’s important for us to understand if the extent to which we are exposed to the virus has a correlation to how sick we eventually become. In order to do so, we need to administer more than just binary serological tests (yes or no) and find ways to measure viral load. If viral load matters, then it becomes important to treat patients with the highest viral loads, first and foremost, allowing us to prioritize cases in an epidemic where the global health care system is being tested to its limits.

As is the case with everyone else, this pandemic has made me more aware of the fact that nothing is above maintaining your health. A key factor in staying healthy is educating oneself about your own body so that you can understand what leads to disease and, hopefully, prevent it. I have an underlying health condition that puts me at great risk if my immune system becomes compromised so I’ve taken advantage of these moments of self isolation and quarantine to become more aware of my health and body.

Science is Creative

• The extent to which imagination and conjecture plays a part in a scientist’s ability to formulate hypotheses (i.e Greek philosopher Aristotle’s initial formulation of genetic code)
• There definitely seems to be a correlation between one’s exposure to different elements, subjects, domains in the world and their ability to apply what they learned in each of them to an entirely different domain

Discoveries Take Time

• The discovery of genetics was a long process with fitful starts and stops, with some steps backwards as well. Regardless, the truth always comes out and becomes accepted
• Some of the most important people in scientific history (or any history for that matter) were not recognized until long after they have passed (Gregory Mendel)
• While blessed with talent and unlimited resources Galton was not able to fulfill his potential due to his lack of discipline and appreciation for detailed, rigorous and often mundane scientific processes.

Our Temptation To Control Nature

• Once we discover a natural law, our instincts tend towards controlling said law. Once geneticist understood how genes were passed down multi-generationally, without being diluted in any way, the fear was that defective genes may always linger.
• Our initial instinct was to eliminate these defects without appreciating the fact that our genes, from a holistic purpose, were perfect for our current environment as explained by Darwinian law

To be continued..