Elective surgery

ELECTIVE SURGERY: The human being is far from a perfect organism, writes biologist Mary Beth Saffo (The American Scholar, Summer). Besides being metabolically impoverished, "our anatomy could use a little touching up." For starters, how about a redesign of the sinus cavities or improvement of the spinal architecture? People with high dental bills might envy sharks and snails, which have the ability to replace their teeth.

And then there's the immune system, which doesn't protect us from all diseases, and even has the capacity to attack us sometimes. Where would you like some improvement--the muscles or joints, the digestive or respiratory systems, your hearing or sight? Says Saffo, "casual consideration of the average talk show, or faculty meeting, or the stupendous folly of environmental abuse, makes it clear that even our vaunted intelligence, a key to our evolutionary success, has its limitations." Imagine that.

COPYRIGHT 2005 The Christian Century Foundation
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning