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I still wonder at what may be lost if/when we have the ability to eliminate genetic or birth defects. Just like emerging through the "trough of sorrow" doesn't

I still wonder at what may be lost if/when we have the ability to eliminate genetic or birth defects. Just like emerging through the "trough of sorrow" doesn't seem essential to a strong business yet still seems to do something like what my dad called "building character", I wonder if these ever-present difficulties contribute, somehow, to making people stronger. And even, perhaps, more caring of each other. "But there's enough troubles already..." yes, yes, I know. But first, it's not a response to the argument. Second, though: what about when those troubles, and then the ones left after that, are eliminated? I've long liked "The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect" http://www.kuro5hin.org/prime-intellect/ http://www.kuro5hin.org/prime-intellect/ in part because it shows what might be wrong with just such a world. Would Abraham Lincoln still have been who he was if he didn't have Marfan syndrome? Or what if he was never born because of prenatal screening? If we could eliminate manic depression, would we ever have another Emily Dickinson? Would Van Gogh still have show us the world in new ways if he didn't have epilepsy? Eugenics has promise. It also holds terror beyond simply how it has been practiced in the past. We're already seeing the dangers of monoculture in agribusiness. Could a similar molecular 'cleanup' of the human genome pose similar dangers?

6ren 16y ago
In the earlier stages of research, diversity will be sought, many things will be tried. It will be "let a thousand flowers bloom", because that's the way most industries start, when no one really yet understands how to do it. It's experimental, trial and error. Those that don't will be surpassed by those who do. ... of course, later, there is often a consolidation phase, after the way to do it is understood, which might not be so egalitarian, and made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science.
dmm 16y ago
I don't have an answer for you but might I make a suggestion? Maybe you should spend some time with some severely disabled kids. Even in the best of circumstances (wealthy parents with lots of support living in a developed nation, etc) disabilities can cause immense suffering, for the people diagnosed with the conditions, for their families. When making a decision it's often a good idea to weigh the benefits(genetic/developmental conditions providing troubles to overcome, character building) versus the costs (the profound difficulties these conditions can place on individuals families). You've touched on some of the benefits but let's make those more explicit. I don't think you have really any idea of the costs. After carefully considering this issue, if you come to the conclusion that people being born with genetic disorders is a desirable aspect of life then there are immediate ways you can show everyone you aren't full of shit. For example you could adopt several children with severe mental retardation who require 24hr care and will for the rest of their lives. There are many children out there who are desperately in need of loving families and you could make a tremendous impact on their lives _right now_.

6ren 16y ago

In the earlier stages of research, diversity will be sought, many things will be tried. It will be "let a thousand flowers bloom", because that's the way most industries start, when no one really yet understands how to do it. It's experimental, trial and error. Those that don't will be surpassed by those who do. ... of course, later, there is often a consolidation phase, after the way to do it is understood, which might not be so egalitarian, and made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science.

dmm 16y ago

I don't have an answer for you but might I make a suggestion? Maybe you should spend some time with some severely disabled kids. Even in the best of circumstances (wealthy parents with lots of support living in a developed nation, etc) disabilities can cause immense suffering, for the people diagnosed with the conditions, for their families. When making a decision it's often a good idea to weigh the benefits(genetic/developmental conditions providing troubles to overcome, character building) versus the costs (the profound difficulties these conditions can place on individuals families). You've touched on some of the benefits but let's make those more explicit. I don't think you have really any idea of the costs. After carefully considering this issue, if you come to the conclusion that people being born with genetic disorders is a desirable aspect of life then there are immediate ways you can show everyone you aren't full of shit. For example you could adopt several children with severe mental retardation who require 24hr care and will for the rest of their lives. There are many children out there who are desperately in need of loving families and you could make a tremendous impact on their lives _right now_.