Bill Clinton - Human Genome
The Language in Which God Created Life

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President Clinton quote “Today, we are learning the language in which God created life” + Vitruvian Man + genome sequences

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Lines from a computer screen showing DNA sequences such as GAGCACTCAGGA

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“Today, we are learning the language in which God created life.”

— U.S. President Bill Clinton

(26 Jun 2000)

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The Context of Bill Clinton's “The language in which God created life.” Quote

On 26 Jun 2000, the first draft was announced of the human genome, the result of an international research effort to map the entire sequence of genes in human DNA. For the announcement, in the East Room of the White House on 26 Jun 2000, President Bill Clinton was joined by biotechnologists Drs. Francis Collins and Craig Ventner, with British Prime Minister Tony Blair via satellite.

After welcoming everyone, the President began by considering the historic frontiers crossed by two maps. The first was made by the Lewis and Meriwether expedition to the Pacific. Then he compared the new map being announced of the human genome, saying:

“Without a doubt, this is the most important, most wondrous map ever produced by humankind.”

After acknowledging the groundbreaking work of Francis Crick and James Watson (who was present) to reveal the structure of DNA, and now the contributions of over a thousand more researchers, the President continued:

“we have pooled the combined wisdom of biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, mathematics and computer science; tapped the great strengths and insights of the public and private sectors. More than 1,000 researchers across six nations have revealed nearly all 3 billion letters of our miraculous genetic code. I congratulate all of you on this stunning and humbling achievement.

Today's announcement represents more than just an epic-making triumph of science and reason. After all, when Galileo discovered he could use the tools of mathematics and mechanics to understand the motion of celestial bodies, he felt, in the words of one eminent researcher,

'that he had learned the language in which God created the universe.'

Today, we are learning the language in which God created life. We are gaining ever more awe for the complexity, the beauty, the wonder of God's most divine and sacred gift. With this profound new knowledge, humankind is on the verge of gaining immense, new power to heal. Genome science will have a real impact on all our lives—and even more, on the lives of our children. It will revolutionize the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of most, if not all, human diseases.

… modern science has confirmed what we first learned from ancient fates. The most important fact of life on this Earth is our common humanity. My greatest wish on this day for the ages is that this incandescent truth will always guide our actions as we continue to march forth in this, the greatest age of discovery ever known.”

From White House announcement broadcast on the day of the publication of the first draft of the human genome. Text of Remarks on the Completion of the First Survey of the Entire Human Genome Project (26 Jun 2000). (source)

Quotes by | Tony Blair | Francis Collins | Craig Ventner | Francis Crick | James Watson

President Clinton at podium + Quote “We are here to celebrate…entire human genome…most wondrous map ever produced by human kind”

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See also:

Science Quotes by President Bill Clinton.
Bill Clinton - Context of the “Celebrate completion of the first survey of the entire human genome” quote - with medium image (500 x 350px).
Bill Clinton - Context of the “Celebrate completion of the first survey of the entire human genome” quote - with large image (800 x 600px).
Bill Clinton - Context of the “Our children's children will know the term cancer only as a constellation” quote - with medium image (500 x 350px).
Bill Clinton - Context of the “Our children's children will know the term cancer only as a constellation” quote - with large image (800 x 600px).
Bill Clinton - Context of the “We are learning the language in which God created life” quote - with medium image (800 x 600px).

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