5 ms·

Will be very _very_ interesting to see if the tech develops enough in my lifetime to where people can send in spit samples to a medical firm, have their genome

Will be very _very_ interesting to see if the tech develops enough in my lifetime to where people can send in spit samples to a medical firm, have their genome processed and then the medical company can remove any genetic predispositions to certain defects, etc... You could then also (for a hefty price), choose to have different traits embedded in your embryo - different eye colors, hair types, jawline, etc. I'm sure we'll eventually get to the point where you can go to a medical company, throw your spit into a machine and be able to check on/off boxes for desired traits, remove negative traits, etc. etc. and have a baby ready for you under accelerated growth in weeks, not months. For added comedy, have it delivered by drone - instead of a stork delivering your child, it could be Amazon!

hutzlibu 3y ago
"For added comedy, have it delivered by drone - instead of a stork delivering your child, it could be Amazon! " Interesting dystopia? But as far as I understand, the understanding of genetics is changing. Meaning there are no simple flags to set, that will enable or disable certain diseases or traits. It is way more interconnected, so your custom ordered amazon baby might have to wait a little bit longer.
BXlnt2EachOther 3y ago
for anyone intrigued and/or frightened by the first half of that, here's a context-sensitive recommendation for the film Gattaca (1997) -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca
cameldrv 3y ago
A more limited version of this is already a consumer product [1]. You can't edit the genome, but you can pick the best (for whatever your definition of best is) of the dozen or so embryos. They sequence the whole genome of all of the embryos and give you all sorts of genetic information. [1] https://www.orchidhealth.com https://www.orchidhealth.com
lo_zamoyski 3y ago
Not a laughing matter, of course. The commodification of human beings is a huge problem, and one we already suffer from, a part of our cultural malaise.
RivieraKid 3y ago
And 50% discount if you just need a particular body part for a transplant.

hutzlibu 3y ago

"For added comedy, have it delivered by drone - instead of a stork delivering your child, it could be Amazon! " Interesting dystopia? But as far as I understand, the understanding of genetics is changing. Meaning there are no simple flags to set, that will enable or disable certain diseases or traits. It is way more interconnected, so your custom ordered amazon baby might have to wait a little bit longer.

BXlnt2EachOther 3y ago

for anyone intrigued and/or frightened by the first half of that, here's a context-sensitive recommendation for the film Gattaca (1997) -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca

cameldrv 3y ago

A more limited version of this is already a consumer product [1]. You can't edit the genome, but you can pick the best (for whatever your definition of best is) of the dozen or so embryos. They sequence the whole genome of all of the embryos and give you all sorts of genetic information. [1] https://www.orchidhealth.com https://www.orchidhealth.com

lo_zamoyski 3y ago

Not a laughing matter, of course. The commodification of human beings is a huge problem, and one we already suffer from, a part of our cultural malaise.

RivieraKid 3y ago

And 50% discount if you just need a particular body part for a transplant.