The Weekend was not Lost, But Memories Could be

Spent the weekend in north central Texas visiting my daughter, mostly watching her and Mrs. Oklahomilist make plans for a June wedding. And yeah, Stephen the Fiance hung out with me. Both of us on the edge of terminal boredom. Had it not been for a Valentine's movie (the excellent "Taken"), and meals at Red Lobster and P.F. Chang's, who knows what would have become of me.

Fortunately I took a bit of light reading along, Michael Crichton's "Next," which was published in 2006. It deals with genetic research and the various misadventures which could (and do) take place as new therapies and medications are developed through them, as well as the evils surrounding the commercialization of gene patents. Suffice it to say that by the time I'd finished the book, I was ready to get back to God's country and never, ever again give any doctor or hospital a blood or tissue sample.

So what greets me on Drudge this morning? "Pill to Erase Bad Memories: Ethical furore over drugs that threaten human identity."

British experts said the breakthrough raises disturbing ethical questions about what makes us human.

They also warned it could have damaging psychological consequences, preventing those who take it from learning from their mistakes.

...

Beta blockers appear to work because each time someone recalls a powerful emotional memory the memory is 'remade' by the brain. The drug interferes with this re-creation of the stressful memory - and prevents the brain renewing it.

While not technically genetic research, the study involves a medication using beta-adrenergic receptor blockers that affect the brain.

Sometime in the future you could have someone commit a murder, erase the memory of the murder, as well as other incriminating evidence, and be able to pass a polygraph exam since the memory would no longer be the same.

Lovely.

Do we really want to go down this path? Medications and procedures that change who we are physically and psychologically?

Crichton's book revolved around transgenic animals and chimeras and a lot of attorney chicanery. I highly recommend it as an entertaining read. Be warned, however, that it spotlights a future that you most likely will not want to inhabit, and just another set of reasons why I think God is about ready to allow a major cleansing of our modern order.