Google X - Baseline Study

Google has set off on what may be the craziest scientific exploration yet... a quest inside the human body.

The project, called the Baseline study, plans to collect the genetic and molecular information to create what could be the fullest picture of an ideal, healthy human body.

The idea behind this study is to start thinking more proactively about disease control. Currently, our views of medicine are, for the most part, reactive. The normal process begins with symptoms, diagnosis, then treatment. The Baseline project is taking a different approach.

In the study, they place small microchips inside the human body to gather detailed genetic information from the various body systems. Google will then use its large computing power to locate patterns, also known as "biomarkers" found in the data. The objective is that these markers will be used by medical researchers to detect  the cause of disease before it actually becomes a problem.

For example, the study may reveal a biomarker that helps people efficiently break down fatty foods, helping them live a life free of high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Through Baseline, those who lack this biomarker will be able to be notified before heart disease and cholesterol issues become a problem. With this information, then can modify their behavior and prevent or delay symptoms.

While the Baseline project is impressive, it inevitably raises many privacy and fairness concerns. The primary concern is what would happen if insurance companies were to get their hands on the data collected. This type of detailed genetic information would be invaluable to insurers, who are always looking for ways to reduce their risk and save money. Their use of predictive data to take away the "unknown risk" could be detrimental to patients.

Google has declared that it won't have free reign over the data that it collects. Their are already rules and regulations, HIPAA for example, to protect patients and their right to personal medical information.

Despite the risks, Google X's focus on long-term, risky initiatives could have a huge impact on the human population.