5 ms·
Curing genetic diseases is going to turn unlucky people into more normal people, not privileged people into superhumans.
by pitspotter 5y ago
Curing genetic diseases is going to turn unlucky people into more normal people, not privileged people into superhumans.
- gomox 5y agoGiven the history of humanity, I find this take to be anywhere between optimistic and naive.
- meowface 5y agoThe parent said "curing genetic diseases", not "CRISPR".
- gnulinux 5y agoAre you seriously arguing in 50 years super rich people won't use this for e.g. cosmetic reasons?
- pitspotter 5y agoHealth, intelligence and facial symmetry do seem to be linked to the absence of deleterious mutations so yes it may well be that the children of wealthy people benefit, in the farther future. I don't foresee any particular harm, since the standard arguments apply: what starts as luxury eventually becomes accessible to all with the rich having paid the development costs. Also consider that since the industrial revolution child mortality in the West has declined tremendously (thankfully), so it's possible that our genomes have accumulated mutations presently unknown which will need to be deleted at some point. Better done via gene-editing tech than via the cruelties of natural selection or eugenics.