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Interesting take, but one correction: sperm from old men isn't "just as good" as sperm from a young man. The older the father, the more DNA mutations he's accu
by SamPatt 2y ago
Interesting take, but one correction: sperm from old men isn't "just as good" as sperm from a young man.
The older the father, the more DNA mutations he's accumulated (I've heard the estimate of 2-3 mutations per year). This increases the risks of all sorts of things, from autism to cancer.
While the overall likelihood is still fairly low, comparatively, it's still strictly worse.
- Fire-Dragon-DoL 2y agoInteresting, wasn't aware of this. Should we freeze our sperm as soon as we hit puberty to improve health of the overall population? I'm only half joking, would the cost be offset by the drastic cost reduction due to less need of health care for those complex genetic conditions?
- SamPatt 2y agoHonestly I don't know. In theory it would reduce some conditions, but in practice I assume most people will prefer conception the old fashioned way.