Our Future Relies On Creativity

Prevention is the best treatment for any disease. So what if we could edit DNA to protect people from developing gene-inherited diseases they are susceptible to? Winner of last year`s Nobel Prize, Jennifer Doudna, has created the technology CRISPR that allows us to do precisely this.

Whilst studying RNA catalytic activity, Doudna observed part of the bacterial cell`s immune response when bacterial cells are invaded by a virus, they cut the viral DNA to destroy it and stop it from replicating itself. (They are able to recognise the viral DNA due to previously saved viral genetic code.) This discovery triggered Doudna`s ground-breaking response. With a team of scientists, she worked out how to reprogramme this code used by bacterial cells, so she could edit and then replace any DNA. With her logic and imagination combined, her invention of CRISPR could allow us to control human evolution.

The ability to cut and paste DNA opens up a whole range of possibilities. For instance, if you have a pregnant woman whose family has a long history of Alzheimer`s, you could remove the gene in the embryo that serves as a risk factor for the disease. Furthermore, we could use this technology in the future to not only prevent disease but also enhance the human race. We could make `designer babies`! We could change the physical appearances of embryos as well as traits that could make them faster, stronger and healthier, with more efficient immune systems and bodies. So far this has been prevented due to many ethical debates arising however, it is still fascinating to see how new ideas can have such an impact on the world. In this case, one woman`s curiosity and creativity has the potential to change the human race as we know it.

And this is just one of the more recent cutting-edge inventions. The past is full of impressive constructions driven by creative minds. They are the reason for the quality of life we take for granted nowadays. For example: without the development of the lightbulb we would still live in the shadows of candles, without vaccines millions more people would die each year (mostly children), making covid-19 seem insignificant and without anaesthetic, it would be impossible to carry out any of the long and complicated surgeries that save so many lives. These scientists not only had brilliant ideas in the first place, but they managed to bring them to life through tedious rounds of trial and error. Trial and error relies on creativity and the ability to continually re-think new ways to test your idea.

Creativity is at the base of evolution and spurs on the future without new experiments and inventions, science (and medicine) would be held at a red light indefinitely. There cannot be any progression in these aspects if scientists do not think outside the box and try to create new technologies and machines to benefit our world. Without creativity, scientists would only be able to identify patterns and problems, yet would not have the means to find solutions for them. Creativity is not often associated with scientists however, it is just as important as having knowledge - if you had one without the other, you would not get very far in your experiments and creations. Every great scientist has come up with an original vision of which has produced something beautiful. One could argue this takes more creativity than any other profession.