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> We understand a lot of about the DNA ‘file format’ and how it works. That’s been a major priority of research. We may understand a lot, but nowhere near eno
by Valmar 8y ago
> We understand a lot of about the DNA ‘file format’ and how it works. That’s been a major priority of research.
We may understand a lot, but nowhere near enough to be able to confidently edit DNA, and know that it won't causes a ton of unforeseen issues down the line.
We don't know what we don't know ~ that is, as much as we like to believe that we understand a lot about DNA and how it works, odd things pop up all the time that prove us wrong. I dare say that there are far deeper mysteries about DNA that we have no current understanding of.
> Nature does not ‘know how’ to make it work 99.99% of the time. Nature very frequently aborts pregnancy’s when any number of things go wrong. Getting all the way to birth is a huge checksum that validates the majority of critical DNA.
This is merely an example of nature getting it right ~ abort if there are serious issues.
> Which gets it the larger point. Evolution focuses more on species propagation than individuals.
It is about both ~ the individual matters most ~ species propagation doesn't even register in importance to a majority of individuals. Having children does. They're subtly different ideas.
- Retric 8y ago> confidently edit DNA, and know that it won't causes a ton of unforeseen issues down the line. That’s a question of code not file format. I may understand C, but that does not mean I can edit any C program safely. > abort if there are serious issues. That stance suggests there is no way to fail as death is the worst option. But even that fails as a significant number of women died due to pregnancy or birth before modern medicine. Even now pregnancy’s are higher risk than most things people do.
- ryacko 8y agoThe genome is spooky action at a distance. A lot of physical traits seem connected to personality which indicates studies are insufficiently rigorous.
- Retric 8y agoPersonality presupposes so many things working that you have basically won at that point.
- tormeh 8y agoNope. Many people both have personalities, and need staff looking after them 24/7. Some of them can't even speak.
- Retric 8y agoThey are a tiny fraction of people who died from DNA issues. People with personalities also have neurons and wonder of wonders a centural nervous system. PS: It’s hard to get good numbers for this stuff as but many things like drug use my pregnant mothers can cause significant developmental issues. But, everyone has several random mutations and mental problems from them seem to be far less common than other issues. Especially when you exclude things getting passed down over time and just look at new mutations.