Poll: Genetic Engineering Babies

[Inarticulate_Underachiever]

I used to be for it but after reading Brave New World most dabbles in genetic engineering frighten me now.

 

[PayNSprayBandit]

helloooooooooooooooooooooooooooo GATTACA, anyone else seen that movie?

Yup. And it still wasn't a bad idea there either. What was a bad idea was that the general population of the engineered people decided to take that as a cue to commence an almost racist stance towards those who weren't engineered.

And...that's a big problem, first and foremost, who do you think are the first people who are going to have access to advanced commercial genetic manipulation? Dun dun dun da! Rich people. And, as you know, rich people already think they have cause to think themselves better than their fellow man, due to be wealthy that is. Just think, with this stuff they'll think they've even more reason, and it'll be true.

If we lived in a post-scarcity society by then, it wouldn't really matter, as it stands we do not, and thus the have-nots remain, now even worse off than before.

Right, well there are some other concerns about Eugenics.

Mhm, except, this isn't about controlled breeding. This is about modifying the genotype and the genes of the foetus possibly while still in the womb. It wouldn't be getting people to pair off until you got desirable results, this is where you change aspects of the child before it's born, and trying to eliminate at the very least genetic traits that could result in a danger to the child.

As for the end of the world people. At the moment you don't have much to worry about, I already mentioned it but here it is in bold letters: POOR PEOPLE!. There's your control. As it is the rich are the ones who are going to be the first to benefit. I mean, think of all the advances in medicine we already have, and yet people still die. Just because you have a fancy new treatment doesn't mean the people who need it most are going to get it...so you can forget this whole the world is doomed no-one will ever die thing.

Equality debates and paranoia aside; I, personally, am all in favor of better living through science. My point is simply that there are all always risks, of both mistake and misuse, and here they are particularly high. We must tread carefully.

 

[YouGetWhatsGiven]

Do it on animals, because that always work.

 

[SomeBritishDude]

YES!!! We were promised Super Heroes when we were kids and we're DAMN WELL GOING TO GET THEM!!!

 

[NeedAUserName]

If its possible, and doesn't harm anyone, I think making babies smarter is a good idea, as it means we will have more scientists/doctors/lawyers etc. Meaning the human race can discover, and advance technologically faster, than if left on our own.

 

[runedeadthA]

Hmm i think that if people wanna geneticlly experiment thats fine, humanity is to boring as it is. The one reason i would oppose it is that OTHER people would not like it would get pissy. e.g angrey mobs, wars.....Silly little unnessacery things like that. Still if we wanna reasonably have a chance of colonizing other worlds, gentic experimenting is the way to go.