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"Social preferences may skew the genetic balance of the human species..." Ya, so what's new? (well, besides speed and scale but those are not referenced.)

by jqm 11y ago

civilian 11y ago
If it skewed us towards less genetic diversity, that'd be bad. Humans already have really low genetic diversity when compared to chimps.
- iwwr 11y ago
  That's the wonder of genetic engineering, if you have a digital record of genomes you get to keep genetic diversity forever. You can mix and match across the entire gene pool. You can eliminate whole categories of disease and disability. We're not there quite yet, but heading there in the next few decades.
- Toast_ 11y ago
  > Humans already have really low genetic diversity when compared to chimps. Please elaborate why that matters; it was taught pretty early on in my bio major that ecosystem biodiversity is a positive, however, I haven't heard of anything relating directly to a species itself. Thanks.
  - josinalvo 11y ago
    One positive of genetic diversity is resistance to disease caused by virus and bacteria. A population too homogeneous can be destroyed by a disease in a way an heterogeneous population is not (and the infection also spreads faster) That is: in homogeneous populations either a disease can kill/infect everyone, or no one. So, when it hits, it hits hard (btw, this already happens with crops)
    - Toast_ 11y ago
      That's based on the supposition that a particular genetic resistance is already present in the population. My question was directed upon the 'chimps vs humans' quote, and how relative genetic diversity matters (given that we don't take part in incest), not on the principle on which the potato famine occurred.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
josinalvo 11y ago
I must day I dont find this all that negative... I mean, parents can choose what their kids learn. We allow this in hopes of parents taking choices that are good for the kids... Some people will harm their kids this way, but should the whole thing be forbidden? To me, designer babies seem to be the same

"Social preferences may skew the genetic balance of the human species..." Ya, so what's new? (well, besides speed and scale but those are not referenced.)

by jqm 11y ago

"Social preferences may skew the genetic balance of the human species..." Ya, so what's new? (well, besides speed and scale but those are not referenced.)

civilian 11y ago

If it skewed us towards less genetic diversity, that'd be bad. Humans already have really low genetic diversity when compared to chimps.

iwwr 11y ago
That's the wonder of genetic engineering, if you have a digital record of genomes you get to keep genetic diversity forever. You can mix and match across the entire gene pool. You can eliminate whole categories of disease and disability. We're not there quite yet, but heading there in the next few decades.
Toast_ 11y ago
> Humans already have really low genetic diversity when compared to chimps. Please elaborate why that matters; it was taught pretty early on in my bio major that ecosystem biodiversity is a positive, however, I haven't heard of anything relating directly to a species itself. Thanks.
- josinalvo 11y ago
  One positive of genetic diversity is resistance to disease caused by virus and bacteria. A population too homogeneous can be destroyed by a disease in a way an heterogeneous population is not (and the infection also spreads faster) That is: in homogeneous populations either a disease can kill/infect everyone, or no one. So, when it hits, it hits hard (btw, this already happens with crops)
  - Toast_ 11y ago
    That's based on the supposition that a particular genetic resistance is already present in the population. My question was directed upon the 'chimps vs humans' quote, and how relative genetic diversity matters (given that we don't take part in incest), not on the principle on which the potato famine occurred.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

josinalvo 11y ago

I must day I dont find this all that negative... I mean, parents can choose what their kids learn. We allow this in hopes of parents taking choices that are good for the kids... Some people will harm their kids this way, but should the whole thing be forbidden? To me, designer babies seem to be the same