"Here, let me explain" the professor sipped at his now cold coffee. "Eugenics was basically a philosophical concept when it was first enunciated in the late 19th century. The need to make racially superior humans arose because of the chauvinistic feeling of superiority in man. You understand?
It went something like this. I am superior to others, therefore my offspring and my kind of people should be propagated and increase in numbers. Others are inferior and hence they should be prevented from reproducing. Moreover, people in late 19th century did not have access to molecular biology, cloning etc. because those technologies had not yet been born. All they could do was sterilize, prevent marriage or cull humans like chicken, like they did in the holocaust.
After World War II, due to the havoc it had caused and the strengthening of the human rights movement, eugenics was abandoned. Fair enough, because Eugenics ran against the principle that all humans are born equal. Thus, it apparently had no place in an egalitarian and Post World War II social order".
"Why use the word 'apparently' professor?" Martin asked.
The professor gave out a chuckle.
"Eugenics was in cold storage for hardly a decade after World War II until the launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union. With the launch of Sputnik, the Space age was ushered and Eugenics got a new purpose, a new reason. An end, which justified every means necessary."
"How do you mean?" Anita asked, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
"My Dear lady, the space age triggered a space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. The moon, the planets and the stars were up for grabs. The stakes were very high indeed. Each nation tried to outdo the other. Both sides knew that it was just a matter of time before man colonised outer space. But the question was- who would be first? And who would win?
Plans were drawn up to colonize the Moon, Mars, the Upper atmosphere of Venus, setting up permanent colonies in space, voyaging hundreds of years to reach the nearest stars and what not?
But Humans have evolved with the environmental conditions on Earth and are not physiologically designed for the space environment.
Ultimately, human spaceflight operations are directly constrained by human capability limitations. Humans need sleep and food. We have limited endurance, strength, and memory. Although some of these limitations can be mitigated with training, there are immense costs associated with training. Now this problem of potential improvement of human performance through medical and mechanical technologies had to be addressed.”
“But professor!” Anita interrupted. Martin and the Professor looked at Anita as though coming out of a reverie.
(To Be Continued Tomorrow...)
[The complete Book ‘MAN FROM TOMORROW’ can be downloaded at amzn.to/2MSf1ng]
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