poll:genetic manipulation

[Silva]

Genetic modification, like the Internet, is a human technology and power. In this context it is neither right nor wrong in any fundamental way. The risk in taking on this power is very large, but so too is the potential for human benefits. The ethical restriction of its use is under debate. As far as my own ethical code goes, I believe that less should be emphasised on the problems with playing God and more should be done to find out the physical and environmental ramifications of such research and development.

Scientifically there should be research into the possible results of things like cross-pollination before genetically modified crops should be allowed into open fields. However, the US has gone ahead and allowed this to happen already, and the results are certainly not all in the green. This is an example of gun-ho research methods and is a disgrace to the worldwide scientific community. This practice should not be repeated with other kinds of genetic modification, which should be under certain strenuous restrictions. If for example human clones and test tube people who have had their genes spliced are similarly allowed to reproduce with ordinary humans, huge problems with health could come up fifty to a hundred years later, to say nothing of the ethical problems with such happenings. It could challenge and destroy the very nature of being human in an identity sense, with more large sociological revolutions as a result.

My advice to the scientific community is this. We should not go as mad as Rapture with this. Take it slow. Get the things that can benefit the currently living together through stem cells first, rather than trying to shape life in your own image. Walk before you run, or you'll land flat on your face, and you could even take everyone else with you.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

I think that instead of trying to make plants and animals bigger, we should focus on making tomatoes taste like steak. I would go vegetarian if tomatoes tasted like steak. It'd put an end to animal suffering.

How could you do that to the poor cows? What have they ever done to you? Seriously, if they weren't cultivated for their meat and hides, cattle would be extinct. The same goes for chickens and sheep. They just can't survive on their own. none of them even exist in the wild any more.
OT, and yet on a related note, everything we eat is *already* heavily genetically modified. Ever seen wild wheat? Neither have I. Look at seedless fruit. Do you think that grows in the wild? Unless you hunt and gather wild food sources, you have never in your life eaten food that wasn't genetically modified. The only difference is how long the modification takes, really.

It's not like the factory farmed animals have great lives to begin with, and if we keep farming them, we keep killing and eating them anyway. Honestly, I don't think the current generation of cows and chickens give a crap if there will be cows and chickens in the future. At least if we stopped harvesting them we'd stop hurting and psychologically damaging feeling individuals. Even if they are tasty.

Science people! Get started on the cowmatos, already!

 

[tangylaser]

something ganna go wrong do you know how long it took to make guns 500 years and that would be way more difficult also we would lose an assload of money and have many different problem

 

[supermaster1337]

do you find genetic manipulation right or wrong?
for example
make the size of food twice as big.
or make animals immune for some illness.
and make cows bigger for more food.
or manipulate a child before birth so he won't get a coordination fault etc.

you dont mention the bad things about genetic mutations. So this poll is very biased and innaccurate. i am indifferent about it because the pros and cons cancel each other out.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

its a slippery slope genetic engineering even just plants. one of the problems with crops for example is that you can walk into a wheat field in most countries these days and you will find every one of the wheat plants in the crop identical, which is the problem.. no genetic diversity. sure you might have a plant thats super hardy, bumper crops, etc but if a disease strikes the crop that its suseptible to then the entire crop with die.

older crop fields for example might not have the huge harvests, etc but you could find half a dozen different varieties in the same field. a disease in this case might wipe out one variety but leave the rest intact.

this is actually becoming a big problem with some crop species becoming extinct due to being replaced by modern seed.

you get a short to medium benefit for a long term potential to be bitten in the ass by it

I'm confused. How's that a slippery slope?

 

[massau]

Actual genetic manipulation should be banned.
Why? You wouldn't want someone to 'accidentally' spread something like this [http://www.biotech-info.net/conception.html] around in normal corn fields.

i get it but why make bacteria if you could make the plant immune?

That would be a temporary solution. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methicillin-resistant_Staphylococcus_aureus]

ok this part is right but we need to give strict rules and control them very much

 

[massau]

what happens to some parents' kids that dont get genetic manipulation? are they like inferior then?

they won't be as smart as the rest but if the parents where already manipulated they wouldn't
need to do it with there children because the genes pas on to the next generation

 

[IrrelevantTangent]

I'm always in favor of genetic manipulation in humans so long as it's done extremely carefully and intelligently, and the modifications accomplish generally good goals like enhancing longevity, eyesight, memory....in addition to things like getting rid of birth defects and other such things, as well as manipulating one's genetic structure to either cure/remove viruses/diseases present in one's body, or giving one a very good resistance to most diseases/viruses.

 

[vampirekid.13]

genetic manipulation is a good thing in my personal opinion.

You could manipulate humans to be immune to certain things, or have certain traits.


however genetic manipulation w/o the persons agreement is not ethical.

so doing something to a baby before its born is NOT right.


doing something to a person that asks for it is ok.


personally if it was available i would love to genetically manipulate my senses so i can smell/see/hear better...(above normal human senses).

 

[ffxfriek]

Im all for improving the quality or resistance of certain fruits and vegs. If it werent for genetical modification some of our best fruits like tomato would either be almost non-existant or worth 5 times as much do to difficult cultivation.

seconded

 

[massau]

what happens to some parents' kids that dont get genetic manipulation? are they like inferior then?

they won't be as smart as the rest but if the parents where already manipulated they wouldn't
need to do it with there children because the genes pas on to the next generation

what if the genes mutate?

maybe we need to try it out and see what happens (i'm not an expert)

 

[nerdsamwich]

I think that instead of trying to make plants and animals bigger, we should focus on making tomatoes taste like steak. I would go vegetarian if tomatoes tasted like steak. It'd put an end to animal suffering.

How could you do that to the poor cows? What have they ever done to you? Seriously, if they weren't cultivated for their meat and hides, cattle would be extinct. The same goes for chickens and sheep. They just can't survive on their own. none of them even exist in the wild any more.
OT, and yet on a related note, everything we eat is *already* heavily genetically modified. Ever seen wild wheat? Neither have I. Look at seedless fruit. Do you think that grows in the wild? Unless you hunt and gather wild food sources, you have never in your life eaten food that wasn't genetically modified. The only difference is how long the modification takes, really.

It's not like the factory farmed animals have great lives to begin with, and if we keep farming them, we keep killing and eating them anyway. Honestly, I don't think the current generation of cows and chickens give a crap if there will be cows and chickens in the future. At least if we stopped harvesting them we'd stop hurting and psychologically damaging feeling individuals. Even if they are tasty.

Science people! Get started on the cowmatos, already!

Plants have feelings, too. They have documented responses to physical and even auditory stimuli. They even communicate their feelings to other plants via pheromones! And the sickest thing is: fresh vegetables are still alive when you eat them! At least a steak can't feel you chewing it.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

Plants have feelings, too. They have documented responses to physical and even auditory stimuli. They even communicate their feelings to other plants via pheromones! And the sickest thing is: fresh vegetables are still alive when you eat them! At least a steak can't feel you chewing it.

I suspect you may be exaggerating the capacities of plants. The animals we eat all have brains and nervous systems much like our own, they are quite capable of suffering in the same ways we suffer. Plants lack these features - even if they do have responses to stimuli, plants simply aren't thinking creatures.

 

[tehbeard]

So long as we don't end up like super mutants I am all for it.

 

[massau]

So long as we don't end up like super mutants I am all for it.

ur right but we aren't going to make a FEV and the super mutants are just stupid they cant even think they just come and kill us