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Don't call me Chinese Frankenstein, says jailed scientist who tinkered with baby DNA


Published on 2025-03-21 10:42:39 - Yahoo
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  • The Chinese scientist who was imprisoned for secretly creating the world's first genetically-engineered babies has claimed he will be remembered as China's Charles Darwin for ultimately eliminating natural selection.

The article from Yahoo News discusses the controversy surrounding the use of the term "Chinese Frankenstein" to describe He Jiankui, a Chinese scientist who claimed to have created the world's first gene-edited babies. The term has been criticized for being racially insensitive and for oversimplifying the complex ethical, scientific, and legal issues involved in his work. Critics argue that likening He to Frankenstein not only evokes xenophobic stereotypes but also distracts from the substantive debate about the implications of gene editing. The article highlights that He's actions, which involved editing the genes of twin girls to potentially make them resistant to HIV, have sparked global debate on the ethics of human genome editing, the regulation of such experiments, and the potential for eugenics. It also touches on the broader implications for science, ethics, and international law, emphasizing the need for a more nuanced discussion rather than resorting to sensationalist labels.

Read the Full Yahoo Article at:
[ https://www.yahoo.com/news/don-t-call-chinese-frankenstein-140354000.html ]