Figuring out the neurological and genetic bases of language and general interpersonal communication would allow us to change the world for the better. It could provide us with some of the information to fix communication disorders such as those on the autism spectrum, dyslexia, aphasias, etc.
Also importantly, if we knew which genes were responsible for the human language capacity, it would theoretically be possible for us to knock in those genes in the genomes of other species to give them the ability to use the same type of language as humans.
Many people would say this is immoral. Some people might think that this is an ethically desirable thing to do.
What's your opinion?
[A brief description of my viewpoint]
If you come across useful resources, positive or critical advice, please send it my way. I'll compile a list on this page.
- http://www.radiolab.org/story/hello/ - Story about Margaret Howe's participation in an experiment about living with a dolphin and trying to teach him English. Although the premise of the experiment is a bit anthropocentric, it's a great case study in human-dolphin social interaction.
No comments:
Post a Comment