E.E. Lampman: “In order to defend against the spreading Zika virus, researchers have engineered male mosquitos with a gene which self-destructs their offspring before they can spread the virus. Of course, the Zika virus is a dangerous epidemic and my deepest condolences go out to all those affected, but my skepticism cannot be stifled. Would we be so concerned about the effects of the Zika virus if it was just affecting, say, women, and not their newborns? Is it ethically questionable that we can program a species to self-destruct? This poem is also fueled by other stories of research including: Discovery of the source of a deep ocean hum occurring when fish either signal migration to each other or fart as the gasses in their bodies adjust to the pressures of sea depths. The decoding of whale and elephant songs by acoustic biologist, Katy Payne. Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) of the tardigrade resulting in an astonishing percentage of borrowed genetic material in the abominable species. Massive rates of incarceration in the United States. And, of course, the sad story of Pluto losing her status as a planet.
