The recent research into using the CRISPR gene-editing technology to change genetic coding in an organism’s DNA has generated tremendous public interest, but where is this technology going? In this issue of The Reference Shelf we look at gene editing and genetic engineering, drawing from periodicals, medical reports, and politics to see how this debate is progressing within popular culture. Issues investigated will include engineering new organisms, the potential for medical breakthroughs, the ethics of altering the human genome, and the campaign to bring back the dinosaurs.