Tabletop Transitional – The Genome Poem

The following poem was sent to me by Dr. Rachael Dunlop (of Skeptic Zone fame) via Twitter. It was published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics in 2003, and here, I share it with you:

The Genome Poem

Our genome is known from A to T,
With filling in by G and C
Amazing how these letters four
can color eyes and so much more
But what of the rest of the alphabet?
Is there more we don’t know yet?

Sir Francis and Lord Venter vied
to be the first with knowledge pried
from chromosomes so tightly coiled
to yield their code they must be boiled
with the heat of competition
driving them towards completion

So what of us is preordained?
For which of our faults can the genome be blamed?
And what about our own free will?
Could that be an option still?
Questions to ponder of good and ills,
are sure to challenge the ethicists’ skills

Bob Speth
2000

Reference: Am. J. Med. Genetics, (2003) 120A:308.

Isn’t that cool? The intersection of art and science is always fascinating.

The following poem was sent to me by Dr. Rachael Dunlop (of Skeptic Zone fame) via Twitter. It was published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics in 2003, and here, I share it with you: The Genome Poem Our genome is known from A to T, With filling in by G and C Amazing how these letters four can color eyes and so much more But what of the rest of the alphabet? Is there more we don't know yet? Sir Francis and Lord Venter vied to be the first with knowledge pried from chromosomes so tightly coiled to yield their code they must be boiled with the heat of competition driving them towards completion So what of us is preordained? For which of our faults can the genome be blamed? And what about our own free will? Could that be an option still? Questions to ponder of good and ills, are sure to challenge the ethicists' skills Bob Speth 2000 Reference: Am. J. Med. Genetics, (2003) 120A:308. Isn't that cool? The intersection of art and science is always fascinating.