Would you genetically engineer your future child?

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Sir Og
This is what Gattaca showed. The 'normal' kid who has reached his full potential was better than the complacent 'designer' kid.

Cool, then we don't need GE (for something other than to cure disease)

But seriously, the normal guy in the movie was "better" because the story was written that way. That's hardly a great argument.

There is no danger of the rich countries becoming full of of superhumans while the poor countries remain full of normal (sick, stupid, fat etc.) people.

Many poor countries can't even solve the most basic problems today. And you surely are better off in the richer countries now when having a serious disease (just look how they cope with AIDS in sub-saharan Africa), what makes you think that there would be no difference in the field of GE?

[FrostyBoy]

Originally posted by aneeshm
There is a science fiction story about a race of aliens who developed a great civilisation. They also genetically engineered themselves. What they didn't realise was that the genetic code is so tremendously complex that the effects of a small piece of engineering cannot be predicted, nor the effects of mixing.

They all died out, because all original genetic matter had been lost, and after a few generations, the engineering backfired.

The moral of that tale is that we should not try to change ourselves in drastic ways when we don't know the science behind it in sufficient detail.


At this point in time, we don't really have any clue as to what the effects of GE will be. Until they have been tested for many, many generations, I'm not willing to dabble in something so dangerous. The genetic code is a complex thing, and like the internal forces in a buckyball, not really understood, even now. Let's first work out all the kinks first, and then, when it is reduced to near-mathematical certainty, we can try out stuff.

Unfortunately for humans, we need to actually experiement it in order to understand it.

[Perfection]

Originally posted by aneeshm
There is a science fiction story about a race of aliens who developed a great civilisation. They also genetically engineered themselves. What they didn't realise was that the genetic code is so tremendously complex that the effects of a small piece of engineering cannot be predicted, nor the effects of mixing.

They all died out, because all original genetic matter had been lost, and after a few generations, the engineering backfired.

Well that's science fiction, catastrophic failure of a species is not something that would be an accidental issue.

Originally posted by aneeshm
The moral of that tale is that we should not try to change ourselves in drastic ways when we don't know the science behind it in sufficient detail.

It's not like human genetic engineering is going to be dirastic. We're talking at first single gene modifications and restoring normalcy then possibly some simple few gene smoothing out, it will be quite awhile before natural stuff will be supplanted.

Originally posted by aneeshm
At this point in time, we don't really have any clue as to what the effects of GE will be. Until they have been tested for many, many generations, I'm not willing to dabble in something so dangerous. The genetic code is a complex thing, and like the internal forces in a buckyball, not really understood, even now. Let's first work out all the kinks first, and then, when it is reduced to near-mathematical certainty, we can try out stuff.

Well, you have to look at GE in stages, basic genetic engineering would be relatively safe and minor. It's not some all or nothing thing. GE like any other field of medicine will be/has been accepted in stages on procedure by procedure basises.

Really with Gene therapy it's already begun

[Sir Og]

Originally posted by BeBro


Cool, then we don't need GE (for something other than to cure disease)

But seriously, the normal guy in the movie was "better" because the story was written that way. That's hardly a great argument.

The argument is that upbringing, training and environment play just as big a role if not bigger than genetics when determining how successful someone is going to be. There are plenty of examples in life of people with great potential (great genes) who failed to live up to that potential and vice versa.

[BeBMan]

OK, I got your point now

I'd even agree with that.

[Az]

even not that. there is the whole "womb enviroment" factor.

but hell, even if it would ensure good things, why on earth wouldn't we allow it? just because it gave an "unfair" advantage?

[Kuciwalker]

Holding back humanity for the sake of "fairness"

/me looks at Az

[DaShi]

Monkeys designing monkeys. I think we all know what the result will be.

[LordShiva]

Give them enough time and they'll clone Shakespeare.

[Sandman]

[_BuRjaCi_]

Originally posted by DaShi
Monkeys designing monkeys. I think we all know what the result will be.

Who should do the engineering if not the monkeys? Should we leave it to God or chance maybe? And do we have a good reason to do so?

Democratic transhumanism

Since fear of GE will suimply push it into the real of the black market. That would be a very bad thing indeed.

Btw, if poly has a communist party, why not a transhumanist association? Just a thought.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by _BuRjaCi_


Who should do the engineering if not the monkeys?

God, nature, evolution, universal laws, whatever you want to call it.

[_BuRjaCi_]

Originally posted by General Ludd



God, nature, evolution, universal laws, whatever you want to call it.

I repeat myself: Do we have good reason to do so?

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by _BuRjaCi_


I repeat myself: Do we have good reason to do so?

Yes. Look at the state of the world after only a few thousand years of human design.

[KrazyHorse]

You mean "pretty ****ing awesome"?