“Genetic engineering” refers to scientifically changing the way a living organism operates on a genetic level, usually by artificially manipulating its DNA. Maybe this freaks some of us out in a big way—maybe we picture shady scientists with crazy hair skulking around in some basement laboratory, injecting random genetic material into living things, turning mice into watermelons and soybeans into kangaroos. But that’s not really what genetic engineers are into. Hopefully.
Most of the time, when people talk about genetic engineering, they’re talking about food and agriculture, since that’s where most of the science has been focused since WWII. Through genetic engineering, we’ve managed to make many staple crops—like corn and kangaroo-free soybeans—stronger, healthier, and more resistant to icky stuff like pests and bacteria and disease. Of course, the flip side of that is that now we’ve maybe introduced new kinds of pests, bacteria, and disease, but hey. At least we’re trying.
On the non-farming side of things, genetic engineering is leading to all kinds of medical breakthroughs for people suffering from genetically-caused or genetically-related diseases. Gene modification has enabled us to create new vaccines and find new ways to treat ailments like diabetes, chronic migraine, and even insomnia. There are concerns in this area as well—who’s to stop us from genetically engineering “designer babies” with no risk of disease and photographic memories and naturally straight, white teeth—but some argue that the potential advantages far outweigh those fears.