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Designer babies are coming sooner than you think

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Can't people already have twins whenever they want? I thought a process for that already existed. If so, then this isn't too surprising with us basically almost unlocking stem cells.
 
We really do have to start having the debates about this though.

On the one hand, if we can help stop generational illnesses and conditions before a child is born, it's hard to deny the boons that could have.

But where do we go to far? Wanting certain eye colour or hair colour? Having them look exactly the way we want? It's so tricky.

But a part of being a father/mother (not applying this to adoption, of course) is watching how do the phenotypical characteristics combine on your progeny, right? You could only get THAT far i think, but getting a completely different child would be weird. Maybe the eye colour if it was a recessive gene hidden on the code?
 

Akuun

Looking for meaning in GAF
If we ignore all the stuff about editing superficial stuff like hair color and the ability to produce offspring from skin cells, he does make a compelling argument for editing out dispositions to diseases.

It's true that producing a generation of people who are much less likely to have health problems will probably save the health care system a whole lot of trouble and expenses as those people age. It makes a ton of sense in the long run.

I'm all for editing out genetic diseases and dispositions things like cancer, but I don't think we should edit things such as appearance to be whatever you want it to be.

Having said that, it'll probably happen eventually anyway.
 

Brakke

Banned
"Designer" is, I think, the wrong word to use in the title. The excerpted quote is about selection not design. That is, this strategy of creating a bunch of embryos and then testing them all only allows you to produce a baby with, say, blue eyes, if the two genetic donors have blue eyes or both carry recessive traits for blue eyes. This isn't about gene editing.
 

Drazgul

Member
I still have no idea how the concept of 'designer babies' isn't reviled as much as eugenics.

Hopefully lawmakers will have the sense to put a stop to this before it stops, or at least limit its applications to preventing serious medical conditions.

It's the same basic thought (improvement of the human race), but it's the methodology where they differ, and it's a crucial difference, for obvious reasons.

Laws won't stop this, as those with the means will simply go visit a country that provides those services. Plus I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't try to forbid it anyway, as the potential gains are simply too great.
 

kswiston

Member
It will largely be rich people doing this, and those kids are largely the ones that would have succeeded anyhow due to nepotism.
 

Zaru

Member
I still have no idea how the concept of 'designer babies' isn't reviled as much as eugenics.

Hopefully lawmakers will have the sense to put a stop to this before it stops, or at least limit its applications to preventing serious medical conditions.

Eugenics had the big ethical issue of affecting the living, with sterilization and/or enforcing who can reproduce with who.

This is about improving the genetical traits and thus lives of the unborn, and I assume it's up to the will of the parents.
That's surely more ethical than abortion (for the record, I'm pro choice), which is ironically more effective than eugenics ever were.
 
This could be the next big social issue in the world. I can totally see "natural" people being resentful and prejudiced against "designed" people.
 
I still have no idea how the concept of 'designer babies' isn't reviled as much as eugenics.

Hopefully lawmakers will have the sense to put a stop to this before it stops, or at least limit its applications to preventing serious medical conditions.

And let China and India be superior in all aspects when they go balls deep into these technologies?

At least this one trickles down as us fuglies will either assimilate with the designer babies by interbreeding or silently be bred out.

This could be the next big social issue in the world. I can totally see "natural" people being resentful and prejudiced against "designed" people.

The other social issue being of course automation. I can picture an utopia where A.I. design human babies with perfect features and intelligence to coexist peacefully together
 

wenis

Registered for GAF on September 11, 2001.
If this were available to every income bracket then I'd be totally down for this. A society free of disease and mental disorders?! Holy fuck that'd be great and totally utopian.


With that said, that is absolutely where this is not going. It's going to be the rich getting the greatest treatment and the scales will further be weighed on their side. This is going to create such an ugly future.

porn in the future is going to be amazing

If any of those people actually develop in any sort of direction towards participating in the porn industry. For all we know they might never go that route.
 

dmshaposv

Member
Gataca_Movie_Poster_B.jpg

Literally the opening montage of the film.

Andrew niccol was spot on.
 

Shredderi

Member
I want my sons to be big and strong and have massive dicks

My sons can go to hell, I want to be big and strong and have a massive dick. If I have to choose just one, I'll take the massive dick, so I'll be waiting for a pill that can instantly do that. Pick up the pace, science.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
More ways to widen the gap between the rich and poor!

The only reality here.

If this were available to every income bracket then I'd be totally down for this. A society free of disease and mental disorders?! Holy fuck that'd be great and totally utopian.


With that said, that is absolutely where this is not going. It's going to be the rich getting the greatest treatment and the scales will further be weighed on their side. This is going to create such an ugly future.

How many examples are there of initially expensive medical treatments that haven't become more affordable after 15 years?

How many examples are there of initially expensive medical treatments that have become more affordable and even routine after 15 years?

Early adopters...or perhaps "beta testers", if you will.
 

Bread

Banned
I want each of my sons to be 6'8" lefties, one can be a pitcher and the other will have a basketball hoop in his crib. they will pay for my final years.
 
How long before embryos start being selected on genetic traits that make them have more docile personalities or have a tendency to be good worker drones?

Then further based on productivity, maybe ones that need less sleep or are more stress resistant?..
 
How long before embryos start being selected on genetic traits that make them have more docile personalities or have a tendency to be good worker drones?

Then further based on productivity, maybe ones that need less sleep or are more stress resistant?..
Those are all generally favorable character traits.
 
My sons can go to hell, I want to be big and strong and have a massive dick. If I have to choose just one, I'll take the massive dick, so I'll be waiting for a pill that can instantly do that. Pick up the pace, science.
Lmfao


I want each of my sons to be 6'8" lefties, one can be a pitcher and the other will have a basketball hoop in his crib. they will pay for my final years.

image.php
 
My sons can go to hell, I want to be big and strong and have a massive dick. If I have to choose just one, I'll take the massive dick, so I'll be waiting for a pill that can instantly do that. Pick up the pace, science.

I wonder how far can stem cells go in the regeneration and enhancement of limbs
 
I think male pattern baldness is a thing of the past! LOL

Maybe science has gone too far. People who already won the genetic lottery would stay winning. This would finally settle the nature versus nurture debate though.
 
Imagine how fast we'll approach the singularity if everyone in the world is smart by design, and then you breed two of those smart people to create another smart person, and the only genes that ever mix are two really smart people. A couple of generations later the world will be like 7 billion geniuses, and we can solve all the worlds problems.
 

Lord Error

Insane For Sony
Hopefully lawmakers will have the sense to put a stop to this before it starts, or at least limit its applications to preventing serious medical conditions.
Rich people will just go to some country where this will not be strictly regulated. As soon as the technology is there and is reliable enough, there's no law that will ever be able to stop this from happening.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
How long before embryos start being selected on genetic traits that make them have more docile personalities or have a tendency to be good worker drones?

Then further based on productivity, maybe ones that need less sleep or are more stress resistant?..
It'll be a lot cheaper to make robots do it than to breed an army of worker humans.

Imagine how fast we'll approach the singularity if everyone in the world is smart by design, and then you breed two of those smart people to create another smart person, and the only genes that ever mix are two really smart people. A couple of generations later the world will be like 7 billion geniuses, and we can solve all the worlds problems.

Robots will blow past the intelligence curve way before we ever can.
 

rjinaz

Member
KHAAAAAAN!

I'm actually ok with this, I mean there would have to be obvious regulations. There is definitely a morale debate that could be had in some aspects.
 

RangerBAD

Member
Imagine how fast we'll approach the singularity if everyone in the world is smart by design, and then you breed two of those smart people to create another smart person, and the only genes that ever mix are two really smart people. A couple of generations later the world will be like 7 billion geniuses, and we can solve all the worlds problems.

We'll probably die out without diversity.
 

finley83

Banned
There was an Outer Limits episode about this, where most babies were born genetically perfect but there was a miniscule chance they would be murderous psychopaths with super strength. Gary Cole had one and had to keep him locked in the basement. I think he was also a detective whose job was to hunt down the super people and kill them or something.

Clearly we should learn the lessons of 90s TV and ban science.
 

Shredderi

Member
It's a safe bet these will be commonly selected traits. Natural born males will have a distinct disadvantage.

Yeah. Supermodel looking women would propably be common as well, leaving natural born females far in the dust as well. At least natural born men and women can be miserable and inadequate together. Might actually unite the natural born women and men in an unprecedented way since they would have resentment for the same group of people :p
 
Man, if people can make eperfecr designer babies, than seen everyone will be as perfect as me! That's bullshit, I can't get behind this.

I am 100% behind this. Screw your vague ethical concerns.
 

.JayZii

Banned
Households with teenagers in 40 years:

"Well, I didn't ask to be born, Mom! I didn't ask for these beautiful blue eyes, full lips and hourglass figure!"
 

Acinixys

Member
If I could know for sure my kid would be born with no genetic defects I would 100% do this

Anyone who disagrees is selfish IMO

Why subject your kid to something you could have prevented
 
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