Technology, it is often said, is "neutral," neither good nor bad--a tool whose function is determined by the people who control it. Except when it isn't. That was the reaction of several readers to the April editorial "Get Real" [Perspectives]. The editors warned against "technocynics" who may impede the progress of various promising lines of research--including therapeutic cloning and genetically modified foods--based on "abstract worries" about the vague possibility of "doing more harm than good." Some correspondents urged that research should respect differing views on what is damaging, especially regarding precious human life. Critics and defenders of science face off below on this and other topics from the April issue.

This article was originally published with the title Letters.

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