In this blog post, we will examine both the possibilities and the ethical and social issues raised by advances in genetic engineering, and explore whether genetic engineering research should continue in the future.   What possibilities and controversies has genetic engineering brought to humanity? Advances in genetic engineering are opening up new possibilities for humanity. It is not at all...

In this blog post, we’ll compare the key issues of the theory of gene selection and the theory of multilevel selection, and examine the explanatory power of both theories through the debate surrounding altruistic behavior and natural selection   “Let us make humankind in our image!” (Genesis 1:26) This is a verse from the Bible. Until the emergence of Darwin’s theory of evolution, people...

In this blog post, we’ll explore how genetic design might influence social stratification, drawing on the movie ‘Gattaca’.   The movie ‘Gattaca’ depicts a world where people are born only with perfect genetic combinations. It tells the story of a protagonist—conceived naturally through his parents’ love—who overcomes discrimination despite facing it. The film is set...

In this blog post, we will examine human dignity and bioethics, focusing on how genetic design and postnatal enhancement affect children’s lives and fundamental rights.   Even in today’s world of advanced science, the term “android” still strongly evokes the image of a fantastical being that appears primarily in science fiction movies. In the past, the “androids” symbolized by the robot...

In this blog post, we’ll examine the phenomenon of “birds of a feather flock together,” in which altruistic people tend to gather in groups, and explore how this phenomenon influences cooperative behavior and the emergence and evolution of altruistic individuals.   “No! Pass the ball to me!” Hyun-jun, playing soccer during gym class, yells at Heung-min, who lost possession after attempting a...

In this blog post, we’ll start with the problem of free-riding and examine, from an ethical perspective, why we should live righteously even in the absence of external oversight or punishment.   The Temptation of Free-Riding and the Problem of Cooperation This happened when I was in the military. In the early dawn of April 2012, under the guise of “a battle against myself,” I was gritting my...

In this blog post, we’ll examine why people strive to behave properly and how we can foster altruistic behavior and cooperation through rewards and penalties—the “carrots” and “sticks”—using the free-rider problem in college group projects as a case study.   Humans are far more moral than we tend to think. Every morning, when we take public transportation, we don’t ride for free; when...

In this blog post, we’ll examine the significance and impact of red-pen grading in educational settings.   I’ve solved countless problems and gotten countless problems wrong. A red grading pen was always there with me through it all. When I think of graded test papers, images of red marks scattered across the wide margins of a white or gray background naturally come to mind. Why red, of all...

In this blog post, we’ll explore the principles of temperature—which express the heat and cold we experience daily as objective numerical values—along with units of temperature and how various thermometers work.   How can temperature be measured objectively? Every day, we check the weather forecast, anticipate whether it will be hot or cold, dress accordingly, and head out the door. If...

In this blog post, we will examine the desire for eternal life—a pursuit that has persisted throughout history and across cultures—as well as the potential impact that technologies for achieving it could have on human happiness and society, and consider whether eternal life is truly valuable to humanity.   Eternal Life: A Long-Held Human Dream Throughout history and across cultures, eternal...