High school students from around the Valley discussed an unusual topic Thursday at Eastern Mennonite High School. They were talking about whether or not society or the government should step in when it comes to altering the genes of a child before it's born.

It's called transhumanism, or altering the human body through biotechnology.

Award-winning journalist and author Ronald Bailey analyzed the ethics of the question. Eight high schools participated in the 16th annual discussion, and Professor Myron Blosser says students will be confronted with the issue because of new technology.

"Once you know where a gene is, then that opens up the possibility for manipulating that gene, cutting, pasting, changing," says Blosser. "So parents will eventually have the options of manipulating their DNA prior to having children."

Blosser says intelligence, eye and hair color, history for disease, height, sex, and athletic ability may be changed before birth. However, it may present issues, such as food shortage, over-population or even conflicts with religion.