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Adam

Do We Want To Fool Mother Nature?

April 12, 2019 by Jim Leave a Comment

China’s National Science Review reported in March 2019 that Bing Su of the Kunming Institute of Zoology has inserted human genes into monkeys. His apparent goal was to investigate how the brains of early primates developed along different paths with monkeys remaining in the trees and Homo sapiens progressing to the Internet.

Chinese scientist He Jiankui while at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China claims to have modified the genome, the DNA, of twin female humans in an attempt to preempt the possibility of them someday contracting the HIV virus.

Both of these researchers dealt with DNA and CRISPR. DNA is familiarly known as deoxyribonucleric acid and CRISPR is an acronym for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. The genome is the famous Double Helix discovered by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953. DNA is our 23 pairs of intertwined chromosomes that make us us. CRISPR is the DNA from viruses that might protect us from other viruses such as HIV.

Gentle Reader, if I were you I would not rely upon this exposition of biological knowledge from me for answers you may wish some paid tutor to give on your child’s SAT test. Please remember, I was an English major.

Instead of science, let’s you and I turn to literature for our analysis of genetic engineering. We can start at the beginning. In Genesis, that was written about 400 BC if we look to the Dead Sea Scrolls for a date, Yahweh was doing a little human manipulation when he decided Adam needed a companion. The DNA from Adam’s rib was used to create Eve. The Bible does not explain why two Adams was not the result. However, blissful ignorance was the life these humans led until fruit from the Tree of Knowledge was eaten. Some may think it’s been all downhill since.

About 300 years before Adam and Eve those marvelous Greeks were writing about Achilles who was the product of a human, Peleus, and the immortal nymph, Thetis. This mixing of DNA’s of differing species helped lead to the sack of Troy.

Of course, Jesus, about 2,000 years ago, was a similar product of the human Mary and a god who used genetic merging to create a Prince of Peace. To my way of thinking this was evidence there may be some true benefit to Mankind from such genomitry.

As for me, I could support the manipulation of human genetics if we could create drivers who would not clog up the passing lane and who could survive at least a few moments without a cell phone stuck in their ear. Also, as a husband, could we not embed in wives a gene that allows for beer and football instead of yard work?

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Filed Under: Gavel Gamut, Martyrs, Personal Fun Tagged With: Achilles, Adam, Bing Su, Dead Sea Scrolls, DNA CRISPR, Eve, Genesis, genome, Gentle Reader, Greeks, He Jiankui, HIV, James M. Redwine, Jesus, Jim Redwine, Mary, Peleus, Prince of Peace, Troy

My Side Hurts

February 24, 2017 by Jim 1 Comment

When God took a rib from Adam and made Eve He started us down a slippery slope. I may not have been in The Garden of Eden but I am pretty sure I know how the first conversation between a man and a woman transpired:

 

Adam:   That is the most beautiful apple tree in the history of the world!
Eve:       It needs to be pruned and it looks like some of those apples are ready for picking. Since you were here  first, you do it.

Adam:   I have never seen a finer fig tree.
Eve:       Somebody needs to pull off some of those leaves so I can weave them into a new dress. You are taller than I am, you pull them off. By the way, what’s a dress?

Adam:   Isn’t it great to have all this to ourselves?
Eve:       It’s about time you quit just cavorting around as if you were in Paradise and helped me take care of these kids. And don’t give me that excuse about watching football. Tom Brady hasn’t even been drafted yet.

Adam:   Would it be asking too much for you to maybe fix a meal?
Eve:       A meal! Here, have a bite of this apple I just had you pick.

 

Actually, Gentle Reader, I was not thinking about the Genesis of life but the beginning of the never ending spring at JPeg Ranch and my own Eve’s inability to see anything that doesn’t involve a job for me that just has to be done right now or our home will crumble like the Tower of Babel.

For example, with this glorious February weather I thought Peg and I would both enjoy a peaceful walk about our rural home. I was half right.

Jim:       Isn’t this marvelous weather?
Peg:       Do you believe all the sticks and limbs that blew down this winter? I guess I’ll probably have to gather them all up myself. Of course, since you’re so much stronger than I am, you might want to do it?

Jim:       Boy, the pond is sure clear. Maybe I should grab a rod and reel and try for a fish or two.
Peg:     Or, you could help me put the fountain back in. However, since you weren’t around when I took it out, I’ll probably just do it myself, even though it would be a lot easier for you to reach the cable since you’re taller.

Jim:       Don’t you think this weekend would be a good time to just build a fire out of that wood you want me to pick up and watch the spring flowers gradually appear?
Peg:       If you mean those early dandelions, sure. Maybe this year you’ll get some of them before they reach beanstalk status.

 

Oh well, so much for an early Spring in Paradise.

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Filed Under: Females/Pick on Peg, Gavel Gamut, JPeg Ranch, Posey County Tagged With: Adam, apple, Eve, Genesis of life, Gentle Reader, glorious February weather, God, James M. Redwine, Jim Redwine, JPeg Ranch, man, peaceful walk, Peg, rib, Spring in Paradise, The Garden of Eden, Tower of Babel, woman

© 2020 James M. Redwine

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