A number of years ago I was listening to a program on the radio
broadcast by our local NPR station from James Madison University. The program consisted of a live interview of
an academic conducting research into inter-species gene transfer from humans to
swine. Specifically, they were trying to
perfect the transfer of a healthy human gene, for the production of insulin,
into pigs for the purpose of inexpensive high volume insulin production and a
significant reduction of cost.
Years ago, I had worked for the USDA plant Research Facility
in Beltsville, MD. While there I worked
on a great number of experiments into various treatments for fungal plant diseases
of crop plants. Most of the time the
plants, treatments, and fungal infections were conducted in petri dishes and on
seeds, but sometimes the experiments resulted in fully mature field grown crops
that yielded harvestable quantities of “home grown veggies”. When the tests were over, we often took the
resultant food home and ate it. I got a lot of free string beans that way, and
no one there turned their noses up at free the food.
This experience prompted me to call into the NPR program and
ask: “How many human genes can you put into a pig before you don’t want to eat
it?” The radio went ominously silent
for a long time, radio “dead air” of several long seconds. Somewhat flustered, the folks on the program
assured me that nobody would ever be eating the experimental pigs. I, of course knew better. Human nature being what it is, if the process
they were proposing were ever to become commonplace; there would be some pigs
eaten by humans. What this means, I’m
sure I don’t know.
Just recently, I listened to another NPR program where
researchers were successfully translating “pig language”, the grunts and groans
and squeals, into messages in human language.
The hope was that pig farmers would be able to better understand and
respond to the pigs wants, complaints, and needs. Presumably, the farmers might also be able to
communicate back to the pigs with their wants, complaints, and needs. The obvious question then becomes:
“How many people want to eat pigs that you can talk to?”
