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I'm not making a formal claim just sharing my thoughts. Though I do believe at least one evolutionary biologist has written about this: Hamilton W.D. (1999). Th
by roceasta 9y ago
I'm not making a formal claim just sharing my thoughts. Though I do believe at least one evolutionary biologist has written about this: Hamilton W.D. (1999). The hospitals are coming. Narrow roads of gene land (Oxford University Press). Btw the phenomenon of 'mutational meltdown' is a closely related topic and may re-pay googling.
- maxerickson 9y agoIt seems to be a philosophical position more than anything: http://wasdarwinwrong.com/korthof97.htm http://wasdarwinwrong.com/korthof97.htm I would guess it is wrong; we are on a track where genetic manipulation to treat blatant defects will (relatively shortly) be cheaper than the traditional medical treatments.
- nyolfen 9y agothis worry is not a fringe concern: https://www.edge.org/response-detail/26714 https://www.edge.org/response-detail/26714
- maxerickson 9y agoYour link proposes that we will be able to manage mutations using genetic engineering. Parents could choose to have children created from their healthiest genes, rather than leaving children to be shotgunned with a random and increasing fraction of damaged genes. Genetic repair would replace the ancient cruelty of natural selection, which only fights entropy by tormenting organisms because of their genes. The concern espoused above is that we won't be able to fix the problem.
- visarga 9y ago> natural selection, which only fights entropy by tormenting organisms because of their genes Now that's a limited view of the process that created life. Natural evolution also pays back by upgrading the gene pool.