I welcome the Ubermensch

There is a great scene in the movie Gattaca of a piano recital.  (As I remember it).  As we listen to the beautiful and complex music the camera slowly pans in on the pianist’s fast-moving fingers until we see why the music is so amazing, the pianist has six fingers on each hand.  Was the music written for the pianist or was the pianist written for the music?  Even though Gattaca is often understood as a dystopia the movie is great at showing the promise of genetic engineering.

In India, genetic mutation has done what we are close to doing with genetic engineering.  Devender Harne has six fingers on each hand and six toes on one foot and seven on the other.  He says the extra fingers let him work faster than other children. 

Sixfingers

If you think the photo has been Photoshopped, it hasn’t.  See here for the full story and video.  Thanks to J-Walk Blog for the link.

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