Joseph F. Coates, John B. Mahaffie, and Andy Hines

Biotechnology and genetic engineering will have a dramatic and beneficial impact on society in the twenty-first century, maintain Joseph F. Coates, John B. Mahaffie, and Andy Hines in the following viewpoint. Scientists working in the fields of genetics and genetic engineering will be able to create plants and animals that are better suited for their human use, they contend, and control or eliminate pests. The authors also assert that genetic engineering will make it possible to identify, treat, and prevent thousands of diseases, as well as positively influence human evolution. Coates, Mahaffie and Hines are the authors of 2025: Scenarios of U.S. and Global Society Reshaped by Science and Technology, on which this article is based.

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1. According to the authors, what percentage...