You can now modify the genes of large animals, and the largest animal we are concerned with is the human. Robert Winston More Quotes by Robert Winston More Quotes From Robert Winston I think that good parenting should allow children to be children. That naivety and slightly open way of looking at the world is very valuable. Robert Winston children world thinking By discovering how our minds work, we can improve our learning power and unlock our true potential. Robert Winston true-potential discovering mind To build and strengthen new connections, the brain needs the challenge of fresh and unusual stimuli. .... There's a lot of evidence to suggest that repetition is bad for brain health, and novelty is good. Robert Winston novelty challenges brain Now we have technology where we can modify the genomics of individuals by gene transfer and genetic meddling, we may find that people will want to modify their children, enhance their intelligence, their strength and their beauty and all the other so-called desirable characteristics. Robert Winston technology children people It is important that legislation keeps pace with scientific progress. Robert Winston progress pace important I don't like seeing myself on television and I don't enjoy filming. What I actually enjoy is thinking about how I am going to express something or how we are going to make the visual metaphor. Robert Winston metaphor television thinking Man is a competitive creature, and the seeds of conflict are built deep into our genes. We fought each other on the savannah and only survived against great odds by organising ourselves into groups which would have had a common purpose, giving morale and fortitude. Robert Winston common-purpose odds men We can't any longer have the conventional understanding of genetics which everybody peddles because it is increasingly obvious that epigenetics - actually things which influence the genome's function - are much more important than we realised. Robert Winston influence understanding important We are more dependent on science and engineering than at any other time in history. However, there is plenty of evidence that far too many people are scientifically illiterate, often having been put off science at school. Robert Winston engineering people school We live longer and healthier lives than ever before. Animal research has improved the treatment of infections, helped with immunisation, improved cancer treatment and had a big impact on managing heart disease, brain disorders, arthritis and transplantation. Robert Winston cancer heart animal Robots may cut down on infection and mean a consultant can see more patients, but wouldn't you rather meet the doctor than a machine? Robert Winston doctors cutting mean Of course it is a very simple matter to identify genes which might modify intelligence or memory and start thinking about whether you want to enhance a human, and the next generation is going to have to deal with that issue. Should we be trying to enhance humans rather than trying to educate them and so on? Robert Winston simple memories thinking Nearly all inventions are not recognised for their positive side either when they're made. So, for example, scientists didn't go out to design a CD machine: they designed a laser. But we got all sorts of things from a laser which we never remotely imagined, and we're still finding things for a laser to do. Robert Winston cds design example I think it's important for scientists to be a bit less arrogant, a bit more humble, recognising we are capable of making mistakes and being fallacious - which is increasingly serious in a society where our work may have unpredictable consequences. Robert Winston humble mistake thinking Scientists need to be prepared to engage, and the best people to engage with are students, ideally from primary school because there's no question that their capacity to work out complex things is extremely good. Robert Winston work-out people school We must not fail to recognise that television can be a hugely positive influence in children's lives, one of the greatest educators in contemporary society and an increasing influence on all the children followed in 'Child of Our Time.' Robert Winston influence children television Childhood depression tends to be more common in inner cities, being most frequently related to serious social deprivation, bullying, domestic violence, wartime experience and famine. It is, for example, a serious problem among children who are traumatised refugees. Robert Winston bullying cities children Although religion might be useful in developing a solid moral framework - and enforcing it - we can quite easily develop moral intuitions without relying on religion. Robert Winston intuition moral might Parents should talk to their children, even when they are babies and can't talk back. Robert Winston parent baby children Women of child-bearing age steadily run out of eggs by the continuous process of cell death. While reading a copy of the Guardian carefully from cover to cover, a normal woman will have lost on average two eggs - while, typically, a normal man will have made 70,000 new sperm. Robert Winston reading running children
