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 Today as never before innovation is a dominating force in daily life, spurring ever more rapid change. Globalization, the increasing mobility of people and ideas and the potential of science and its applications hold out both promise and challenges for a constantly evolving society. Hence the need to build an educational and training system that meets the needs of an economy that is increasingly based on human capital. At the same time, the industrial world faces the additional challenge of recasting social policies to take account of its aging population. Many responses to these needs could come from research, as shown by the new opportunities to enhance health and the quality of life offered by molecular biology. However, these very developments also raise questions and fears that could stifle progress in the field if an effort is not made to involve the public in a real, open debate. It is therefore essential that we focus our gaze on the horizons of development in order to identify risks and opportunities. This is the aim of the eighth edition of "Ten Nobels for the Future", the last of this century. |
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Genetics: its Contributions Genetics is a science that developed during the last century, and is now changing our lives. It allows us to understand the evolution of life on earth, it offers us new powerful means for improving our lives, but at the same time obliges us to face new problems of social, ethical, legal nature. All these effects can be recognized in all fields in which genetics plays a role. One of these fields is the prevention of genetic diseases, but the methods used often clash with social or religious ideas. Another field is the determination of the genetic profile of individuals, which can contribute to a better life and to a better use of medicine; however, it threatens the privacy of the individual. Finally, a field where there is profound disagreement is that of genetic intervention in agriculture. All these conflicts can be solved with a thoughtful consideration of the possibilities of genetics as well as of its limitations. |
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