My topic is genetically designing babies or pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. This is where a parent can choose the genetic makeup of their child and can decide between hair color, eye color, gender, and so on. The genes are implanted into the embryo during in vitro fertilization. I want to focus on how far we have progressed in successfully genetically designing babies, how for we could go in the future, and the bioethics behind the practice.

I have found two online articles, two books from the library, and an online article with a video interview as resources on my topic. The article with the video interview has been most helpful with explaining what the latest technology is and some of the debate that goes along with it. The books I rented from the library, including Unzipped Genes and Designing Babies, were both written in the late 90's and will not be very helpful in describing the latest technological developments, but are full of discussion on the bioethics of birth.  The other two journal articles I found are both packed full of information on the bioethics concerning human embryos.

I will run into a lot of challenges when writing this paper. The first challenge I have already encountered is finding up to date resources to use for my topic. One way I could solve this would be to ask my professors if they could point me in the right direction. I keep finding sources from the late 90's and early 2000's but I need something from the '10 to '11 range for my paper to be accurate. Another challenge will be my general struggle with writing in the first place. I could go to the writing center a couple times or just ask for help from my friends if it gets bad. I also feel like it will be a lot better now that I can pick what topic I want to talk about.

research resources

1) "Human--animal embryos" by Duncan Wilson

Wilson, Duncan. "Human--animal embryos." Biological Sciences Review Apr. 2008: 21+. General OneFile. Web. 21 Sep. 2011.

Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA178348120&v=2.1&u=clemson_itweb&it=r&p=ITOF&sw=w

This is an article that discusses embryos and how scientists have tried to use them for genetic testing

2) "Embryo ethics" by Robert P. George

George, Robert P. "Embryo ethics." Daedalus 137.1 (2008): 23+. Academic OneFile. Web. 21 Sep. 2011.

Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA175286831&v=2.1&u=clemson_itweb&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w

This article discusses testing on embryos and the ethics behind it

3) Designing Babies by Roger Gosden

This is a book in the library I found that is titled my exact research paper topic.  However, it was made in the late 90's so it might not be as relevant as I hoped.

4) Unzipped Genes by Martine Rothblatt

This is another book i found in the library that discusses genetically designing babies as well.  There is a lot of usable information in this one that I think will help a lot.

5) http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/03/earlyshow/health/main4840346.shtml

This is a link to a video of an interview with a scientist who actually does design babies. He can choose the sex as well as other traits and I think this video is a lot more recent and gives way for me to find out more about what this doctor and his company does.

research topics

I would like to research genetically engineering babies. This interests me because I am a genetics major and genetics is probably my favorite field of science. There is a lot of controversy over this topic and I feel like with our progress in technology, designer babies is something that will become possible within our lifetime.  I am  not quite sure where I stand on the topic but I would enjoy researching it to figure it out.  It would be beneficial for curing genetic diseases such as Huntington's Disease or Tay-Sachs, but at the same time I feel like genetically engineering babies to be faster, stronger, and smarter than regular humans is a risky area we might want to avoid. Being a genetics major, I have easy access to a lot of research material that would help me out a lot with this topic.

The second topic I am considering is researching the Obama health care plan. There is a lot of controversy over health care and I feel like there would be a lot of material to research and talk about. This affects me because I want to be a doctor someday. I really don't know a lot about this topic but I feel like I should. Using this as my topic would help me catch up and figure out what a future in the medical field will be like. Through my research I might possibly decide to change career paths or keep going strong with what I am doing.

Assignment 4: image and thesis for visual rhetoric assignment

This advertisement utilizes the public's trust in doctors, affinity for celebrities, and the page layout of its certain images to persuade the audience to smoke Camel cigarettes.

Assignment 2

These vending machines that were placed around college campuses and malls are actually donation boxes for the Gun Control Alliance that works to make South Africa a safer place. The logos of this advertisement is that buying a gun in South Africa is as easy as picking one up at a vending machine for a couple coins. The pathos of this advertisement make me feel alarmed that the ability to kill someone is bought as frequently and casually as buying a bag of chips or a soda. The variety of the guns as well as just the guns themselves creates a feeling of fear for the people who live in South Africa.  I also feel that putting money in the machine full of guns would make you realize any random person walking along the street could pick one up with no problem. Using a vending machine is a ten second transaction.  This makes the idea that buying a gun is a purchase motivated by impulse.  If you have the impulse to buy a gun, the impulse to use it would be just as easy to follow through with. It's just scary. The advertisement uses ethos by putting their name and logo underneath the main message. Putting their signature right beside the message shows credibility and shows that they really believe in what they are telling us.