Enhancement technology, ethics, and public policy.

Introduction Gene technology has spawned a wide range of controversies since the early days of recombinant DNA research in the 1960s. Many scientific and ethical issues are discussed throughout this symposium. A particularly troublesome set of questions arises from the uses of gene technology to change personal characteristics that are within the range of normal but for which some kind of improvement may be desired. This kind of modification is generically referred to as 'genetic enhancement'. Almost all aspects of human form and behavior are influenced by genes. Scientists have identified many human features that could potentially be enhanced. This range of features can be categorized into three groups: physical, intellectual, and behavioral, a classification originally suggested by Hermann J. Muller.