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Authors: Clifford D. Simak
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develop a new human strain, then that strain would reproduce other humans of the self-same strain?
DR. LUKAS: Exactly. Except, of course, for the tiny mutations and the variations which are implicit in the evolutionary processes. But that occurs even in the natural forms. That is how all life today evolved.
SENATOR STONE: And say you did create a new type of human being. Say, for example, one that would be able to exist under a condition of much higher gravity than we have here on earth, one that could breathe a different kind of air, one that could thrive on food which might be poisonous to the human being as he now exists, would you ⦠Let me rephrase that question, if you donât mind. Would it be possible, would you say, to engineer such a life form?
DR. LUKAS: Youâre asking only for my considered opinion, of course.
SENATOR STONE: That is right.
DR. LUKAS: Well, then, Iâd say it would be entirely possible. First, you would have to take into consideration all the factors involved and then draft the biological blueprint and â¦
SENATOR STONE: But it could be done?
DR. LUKAS: Without any doubt at all.
SENATOR STONE: You could design a being which could exist under almost any planetary condition?
DR. LUKAS: Senator, I must make it clear that I couldnât. The bioengineering of humans would not fall into my particular field. But yes, it does lie within the state of the art to do this. There are men working with the problem today who could do it. Not that there is any serious attempt at the moment to actually create such a human, but the problems, I understand, have been worked out.
SENATOR STONE: And the procedures, also?
DR. LUKAS: That is my understanding. The procedures also.
SENATOR STONE: And these men, working with these procedures, could design and create a human which would be able to live under any planetary condition?
DR. LUKAS: Well, not quite that sweeping, senator. Not any condition. Eventually perhaps, but not now. And there would, of course, be certain conditions which would be entirely incompatible with life of any sort.
SENATOR STONE: But a form of human life could be created which would exist under a number of conditions which at the moment would prohibit human life as we know it.
DR. LUKAS: I think that can stand as a fair statement.
SENATOR STONE: Then let me ask you, doctor ⦠if such a life form were created, would it still be human?
DR. LUKAS: It would be based, so far as possible, upon the biological and intellectual pattern of a human being. This would be necessary. You have to have a starting point.
SENATOR STONE: Would it look like a human being?
DR. LUKAS: In many cases, it would not.
SENATOR STONE: In most cases, perhaps. Wouldnât that be right, doctor?
DR. LUKAS: It would depend entirely upon the severity of the environmental parameters which would have to be met.
SENATOR STONE: In some cases, it would be a monster, would it not?
DR. LUKAS: Senator, you will have to define your terms. What is a monster?
SENATOR STONE: All right, then. Let us say a monster is a life form that would be repugnant for a human being to look upon. A life form in which a human being could see no relationship to himself. A life form, confronted with which, a human might find himself terrified or horrified or filled with loathing and disgust.
DR. LUKAS: Whether a man would be filled with loathing and disgust would depend, to a large extent, upon what kind of man he was. With the proper attitude â¦
SENATOR STONE: Let us forget about the proper attitude. Let us take an ordinary man or woman, any one of the people sitting in this room. Might certain people look upon this hypothetical creation of yours and feel loathing and disgust?
DR. LUKAS: I suppose some of them would. And I want to correct you, senator. You say monster. This is not my monster. It is something you have conjured up.â¦
SENATOR STONE: But some human beings would regard such a creature as a
DR. LUKAS: Exactly. Except, of course, for the tiny mutations and the variations which are implicit in the evolutionary processes. But that occurs even in the natural forms. That is how all life today evolved.
SENATOR STONE: And say you did create a new type of human being. Say, for example, one that would be able to exist under a condition of much higher gravity than we have here on earth, one that could breathe a different kind of air, one that could thrive on food which might be poisonous to the human being as he now exists, would you ⦠Let me rephrase that question, if you donât mind. Would it be possible, would you say, to engineer such a life form?
DR. LUKAS: Youâre asking only for my considered opinion, of course.
SENATOR STONE: That is right.
DR. LUKAS: Well, then, Iâd say it would be entirely possible. First, you would have to take into consideration all the factors involved and then draft the biological blueprint and â¦
SENATOR STONE: But it could be done?
DR. LUKAS: Without any doubt at all.
SENATOR STONE: You could design a being which could exist under almost any planetary condition?
DR. LUKAS: Senator, I must make it clear that I couldnât. The bioengineering of humans would not fall into my particular field. But yes, it does lie within the state of the art to do this. There are men working with the problem today who could do it. Not that there is any serious attempt at the moment to actually create such a human, but the problems, I understand, have been worked out.
SENATOR STONE: And the procedures, also?
DR. LUKAS: That is my understanding. The procedures also.
SENATOR STONE: And these men, working with these procedures, could design and create a human which would be able to live under any planetary condition?
DR. LUKAS: Well, not quite that sweeping, senator. Not any condition. Eventually perhaps, but not now. And there would, of course, be certain conditions which would be entirely incompatible with life of any sort.
SENATOR STONE: But a form of human life could be created which would exist under a number of conditions which at the moment would prohibit human life as we know it.
DR. LUKAS: I think that can stand as a fair statement.
SENATOR STONE: Then let me ask you, doctor ⦠if such a life form were created, would it still be human?
DR. LUKAS: It would be based, so far as possible, upon the biological and intellectual pattern of a human being. This would be necessary. You have to have a starting point.
SENATOR STONE: Would it look like a human being?
DR. LUKAS: In many cases, it would not.
SENATOR STONE: In most cases, perhaps. Wouldnât that be right, doctor?
DR. LUKAS: It would depend entirely upon the severity of the environmental parameters which would have to be met.
SENATOR STONE: In some cases, it would be a monster, would it not?
DR. LUKAS: Senator, you will have to define your terms. What is a monster?
SENATOR STONE: All right, then. Let us say a monster is a life form that would be repugnant for a human being to look upon. A life form in which a human being could see no relationship to himself. A life form, confronted with which, a human might find himself terrified or horrified or filled with loathing and disgust.
DR. LUKAS: Whether a man would be filled with loathing and disgust would depend, to a large extent, upon what kind of man he was. With the proper attitude â¦
SENATOR STONE: Let us forget about the proper attitude. Let us take an ordinary man or woman, any one of the people sitting in this room. Might certain people look upon this hypothetical creation of yours and feel loathing and disgust?
DR. LUKAS: I suppose some of them would. And I want to correct you, senator. You say monster. This is not my monster. It is something you have conjured up.â¦
SENATOR STONE: But some human beings would regard such a creature as a
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