Upgrade

Getting our DNA upgraded would be really exciting. We get excited just writing the phrase "upgraded." 

To finally get a genetic upgrade that ramps up our performance would be a huge milestone for humanity. After reading Thomas Cech's book about RNA and CRISPR, I picked up a sci-fi novel Upgrade. 

I am not sure if genetic upgrade is a real thing or fiction fantasy. The story of Logan Ramsay in Upgrade lets us get a better picture. Logan literally got a mind-blowing transformation in his genome. All of a sudden, Logan read faster and finished all twelve books that had been languishing on his nightstand, including that of Kazuo Ishiguro. He could even read a book with his eyes while simultaneously listening to an audiobook. He easily made a fortune at casino by recalling the seven poker strategy books he'd speed-read at the library. His energy was bottomless. He slept four hours and woke as fresh as a daisy. 

If you aren't excited about the quantum leap in the genetic makeup, there's indeed a grain of truth in that argument. Imagine Logan Ramsay getting trouble with people interaction. After all, if Logan has  supernatural neurons, then he should be able to predict what someone is going to say long before another human being manages to say it. And if Logan has upgraded intelligence, then he will find speaking with a bright adult somewhat like holding a conversation with a ten-year-old. When Logan revisited a pristine stream in a primeval forest, he could no longer feel the tranquility of the sublime spot. 

Everyone who has read the fairy tale of The Little Mermaid knows how an upgrade could be suffering in disguise. I felt a twinge of loss for Logan, like what we do for the poor mermaid.