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Designer babies represent the potential to step forward as a human race. Genetic manipulation can lead to stronger hearts, better immune systems, bigger working

by Taek 11y ago

Designer babies represent the potential to step forward as a human race. Genetic manipulation can lead to stronger hearts, better immune systems, bigger working memory, etc, etc. In the nature vs. nurture debate, surely people can at least admit that genetics form an absolutely critical foundation. We can stop disease, and we can create children who will be better equipped to tackle tomorrows problems. The education system has very similar goals. It's not a sin for a wealthy family to drop tons of money on private schools, tutoring, and other expensive methods of getting their child ahead. But as soon as genetics are involved, it's a problem that invokes images of nazi's and irrecoverably widening income gaps.

creshal 11y ago
> It's not a sin for a wealthy family to drop tons of money on private schools, tutoring, and other expensive methods of getting their child ahead. Maybe not to the right wing. But to the left wing?
saiya-jin 11y ago
it's as if could actually avoid going down that road, the fruit is too juicy... who can stop army from creating/amending super soldiers? military is well known for disregard on basic human rights in the name of greater good or whatever. same goes for private military contractors. boundaries are anyway extremely blurry, what I consider ridiculous and unethical would other couple consider as giving extra hand to their incoming baby in a very competitive world. one country bans it, but it doesn't prevent its neighbour to have more permissive laws for certain cases. just look at the private banking, or assisted suicide travelling. Gattaca showed this future rather nicely. the thing is, from perspective of the generation when change happens, things might look harsh & horrible in more than one instance. from perspective of augmented civilization looking back 500 years ago on the "age of big leap forward", we will look like a bunch of incompetent, useless and fragile primitives. not so sure what to think about that...
matthewmacleod 11y ago
Hang on – that's rather putting the cart before the horse. I'm not arguing that genetic manipulation is wrong, but rather that out-of-hand discarding one of the key discussion points around it is a bit short-sighted. For example: It's not a sin for a wealthy family to drop tons of money on private schools, tutoring, and other expensive methods of getting their child ahead. I'm pretty sure there are quite a few who would argue otherwise. Entrenched privilege and the resultant increase in inequality is quite a divisive issue already; a putative future in which this aspect of society is further extended such that children of the wealthy are unassailably genetically superior will be unacceptable to many. My point is not that genetic manipulation is wrong – in fact, I'm pretty sure it's inevitable and essentially the next stage in human evolution. But it's an outstandingly complex concept that can't be waved away with what amount to fairly reductive comparisons.
- cpfohl 11y ago
  I don't think the genetic manipulation in the near future is going to be powerful enough to create the situation you describe. If only because of the legal structure we've set up around it, but also because right now out capacities are far more limited, we know a few single genes that control for diseases or other invisible properties. The genetics of things like height, strength, and intelligence are many orders of magnitude more complex. We hardly understand how the brain even works. I realize we'll be making exponential strides, but we're still way early in that curve.
ArkyBeagle 11y ago
Eugenics is most likely a terrible idea. But then again, so probably is the treadmill kids are put on when their parents have the means to do that. I know of very few admirable people who were forced through the sausage mill of educational excellence. Most of the people I admire are "mutts". They're a bit ... off nominal, because people on the bubble don't make waves, usually. If we can't get that right then messing with DNA seems like going from playing with matches to playing with dynamite.

by Taek 11y ago

creshal 11y ago

> It's not a sin for a wealthy family to drop tons of money on private schools, tutoring, and other expensive methods of getting their child ahead. Maybe not to the right wing. But to the left wing?

saiya-jin 11y ago

it's as if could actually avoid going down that road, the fruit is too juicy... who can stop army from creating/amending super soldiers? military is well known for disregard on basic human rights in the name of greater good or whatever. same goes for private military contractors. boundaries are anyway extremely blurry, what I consider ridiculous and unethical would other couple consider as giving extra hand to their incoming baby in a very competitive world. one country bans it, but it doesn't prevent its neighbour to have more permissive laws for certain cases. just look at the private banking, or assisted suicide travelling. Gattaca showed this future rather nicely. the thing is, from perspective of the generation when change happens, things might look harsh & horrible in more than one instance. from perspective of augmented civilization looking back 500 years ago on the "age of big leap forward", we will look like a bunch of incompetent, useless and fragile primitives. not so sure what to think about that...

matthewmacleod 11y ago

Hang on – that's rather putting the cart before the horse. I'm not arguing that genetic manipulation is wrong, but rather that out-of-hand discarding one of the key discussion points around it is a bit short-sighted. For example: It's not a sin for a wealthy family to drop tons of money on private schools, tutoring, and other expensive methods of getting their child ahead. I'm pretty sure there are quite a few who would argue otherwise. Entrenched privilege and the resultant increase in inequality is quite a divisive issue already; a putative future in which this aspect of society is further extended such that children of the wealthy are unassailably genetically superior will be unacceptable to many. My point is not that genetic manipulation is wrong – in fact, I'm pretty sure it's inevitable and essentially the next stage in human evolution. But it's an outstandingly complex concept that can't be waved away with what amount to fairly reductive comparisons.

cpfohl 11y ago
I don't think the genetic manipulation in the near future is going to be powerful enough to create the situation you describe. If only because of the legal structure we've set up around it, but also because right now out capacities are far more limited, we know a few single genes that control for diseases or other invisible properties. The genetics of things like height, strength, and intelligence are many orders of magnitude more complex. We hardly understand how the brain even works. I realize we'll be making exponential strides, but we're still way early in that curve.

ArkyBeagle 11y ago

Eugenics is most likely a terrible idea. But then again, so probably is the treadmill kids are put on when their parents have the means to do that. I know of very few admirable people who were forced through the sausage mill of educational excellence. Most of the people I admire are "mutts". They're a bit ... off nominal, because people on the bubble don't make waves, usually. If we can't get that right then messing with DNA seems like going from playing with matches to playing with dynamite.