Introduction

Thirteen years ago, in his book The Unnatural Nature of Science, Lewis Wolpert expressed his astonishment at ‘how concerned people are about genetic engineering, which has so far damaged no one’.1 This concern has not diminished in the meantime. Today many people are still worried about genetic engineering and biotechnology in general and would rather have nothing to do with it. Some of these worries can certainly, as Wolpert assumed, be traced back to a general distrust in science and technology and the fear of unpredicted and unexpected disastrous consequences. There is considerable doubt that biotechnology is really as safe as those who are engaged in it (and those who profit from it) maintain.2 And rightly so, since in most cases we can still only guess how a particular gene-transfer will affect the receiving organism. The occurrence of unpredicted and unpredictable side effects – which, logically, must be excluded from scientific risk assessments – cannot be ruled out, and the fact that this is hardly ever openly acknowledged does not exactly encourage people to have faith in solemn declarations of the scientific establishment that the new technologies are quite safe and that everything is under control and only in the interest of the public.3 And even if it were true that genetic engineering had so far damaged no one we may just have been lucky.4 Moreover, we cannot be sure that it will not damage anyone in future.