"We improve our favourite plants and animals "and how few they are "gradually by selective breeding; now a new and better peach, now a seedless grape, now a sweeter and larger flower, now a more convenient breed of cattle. We improve them gradually, because our ideals are vague and tentative and our knowledge is very limited; because Nature, too, is shy and slow in our clumsy hands- (26). H.G. Wells wrote those words in his novel The Time Machine in 1895; he recognized man's ability to alter other organisms; however, at that time it was a gradual, slow, and clumsy process. Today, "our clumsy hands- have quickly become quite dexterous and our limited knowledge has greatly expanded. No longer does the gradual process of selective breeding confine improvements; we now have the ability to genetically modify a species' specific characteristics within a single generation (Ford 65). .
Such rapid advancement could provide many benefits; Cathy Becker of ThriveOnline writes that such technology could make foods more nutritious, cause an increase in crop yields, provide more powerful control over pests and weeds, reduce the use of some pesticides and herbicides, and enhance the nutritional value of crops. However, such genetic modification of our food could also bring many potential controversies. Many worry about political and corporate control over the food supply, as well as the ethical dilemmas that go along with altering and often patenting life. The major concerns, however, involve the effects on the environment and on human health. Regulating genetically modified (GM) foods is difficult because pollen and seeds can easily be spread, making a recall of a harmful type of food nearly impossible. More importantly, GM foods could threaten human health, as very few studies have been conducted to determine the long-term effects of human consumption. We have become more knowledgeable and dexterous, but our ideals still seem to be "vague and tentative.