@farmerman,
We maybe barely scratching the surface of the inherent knowledge that is hidden in the world of genes, however, there is sufficient information for application matters such as altering a few human genes to give them desired properties. Similar to genetically modified foods.
For example China produces a new type of rice, named golden rice, that contains the genes to make iron. Such genetically engineered rice has the potential to prevent blindness in poorer communities where poor eyesight is common due to iron-deficiency .
Back to point, researchers in Cornell University added a green fluorescent protein to an embryo left over from assisted reproduction. This embroyo was destroyed a few days later.
As with genetically engineered food, new problems/ unknown problems await for us in the future.
So should science be taken much further to better ourselves (with a lot of trials and errors), although there are unknown risks in this endeavor?
Or should we leave it to mother nature's "natural" evolution to better our speciess at its own gradual time?