The backup brain housed just above the child's left kidney was an ingenious touch. Not only did it ensure continued operation of the child if the neck adapater failed (as they were prone to), but it was also useful, with the right USB cables, as a data storage device. Family photos, tax information, and all of one's banking information could be easily stashed safely away within the child. Given the data processing advances, with an appropriate upgrade, said child could even operate as your family's own accountant. This created a legal quagmire however, as governments struggled with the ethical issues of seizing children to retrieve data as proof of tax evasion or money laundering.
Designer BABIES !!!
- Thread starter jimmoyer
- Start date
The backup brain housed just above the child's left kidney was an ingenious touch. Not only did it ensure continued operation of the child if the neck adapater failed (as they were prone to), but it was also useful, with the right USB cables, as a data storage device. Family photos, tax information, and all of one's banking information could be easily stashed safely away within the child. Given the data processing advances, with an appropriate upgrade, said child could even operate as your family's own accountant. This created a legal quagmire however, as governments struggled with the ethical issues of seizing children to retrieve data as proof of tax evasion or money laundering.
..and although bar codes on all products are a common feature carrying an onboard database
giving profile and history of the human product, the really salient feature was no mechanical or
electronic, it was a biological advance, an interface between the biological to the electronic,
and mostly a merger of the two.
The GPS feature (as common as the bar code and database chip) also called those who still care.
giving profile and history of the human product, the really salient feature was no mechanical or
electronic, it was a biological advance, an interface between the biological to the electronic,
and mostly a merger of the two.
The GPS feature (as common as the bar code and database chip) also called those who still care.
considerations of adding a swipe card mechanism were quickly dropped after questions of where the slot should be for the card
Craftsman's full grown line, the 'Ty Pennington: Hooker Edition', holds no such qualms over swipe card placement, and is pleased with the safety that will be brought to the industry with a cashless, self sterilizing, worker. Available in a broad range of colors, with both ac and dc adapters available, laser leveling allows the user to dial in exact angles for precise positioning. Users are cautioned however, that occasional sparking may occur, and are thus encouraged to keep all hair shorn or tied back.
I don't see why anyone would object to embryo selection for the purpose of avoiding serious medical conditions. Would you want to give birth to a baby that you know would suffer terribly if it could be avoided?
I am not in favor of purposefully giving them disorders. That's a perversion of medicine. I don't know how any health care worker can find it ethical to create medical problems.
I am not in favor of purposefully giving them disorders. That's a perversion of medicine. I don't know how any health care worker can find it ethical to create medical problems.
I don't see why anyone would object to embryo selection for the purpose of avoiding serious medical conditions. Would you want to give birth to a baby that you know would suffer terribly if it could be avoided?
-------------------------------------------Tracy------------------------------------------------------------
This is exactly what the Nazis (such as Mengele) thought.
Why not a master race ?
This time why not make future humans (all races) superior, perfect, better ?
People will instinctively deny that the human race aspires to be an efficient robot.
But that efficient robot, immune to disease, never forgetful, attentive and service oriented,
sans detrimental emotionalism is our idea of God, our idea of perfection.
-------------------------------------------Tracy------------------------------------------------------------
This is exactly what the Nazis (such as Mengele) thought.
Why not a master race ?
This time why not make future humans (all races) superior, perfect, better ?
People will instinctively deny that the human race aspires to be an efficient robot.
But that efficient robot, immune to disease, never forgetful, attentive and service oriented,
sans detrimental emotionalism is our idea of God, our idea of perfection.
It makes sense in theory but if such procedures existed in the past there would be no Steven Hawking. Watch the movie Gattaca for more incite into the problems.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca
I am not completely against the idea but think that we don’t really understand all the implications. There was also an interesting episode of Star Track the next generation on this topic. In the episode the race that used genetic engineering to elliminate disease did not advance in the area of medical science.
http://sttng.epguides.info/?ID=287
There's a very personal line to be drawn there, and it verges on abortion debate, which I really don't want to get into. But, if you view life as having started once an egg has started dividing, then you can't shake the personal truth that you are staring at a group of your children, deciding which one is worthy enough to live, and preparing to kill those who are inferior. For some people, that's just not an option.
If you've ever grown up around someone who is severely disabled, it also effects your ability to cull based on genetic flaws. Someone who might have not been allowed to live otherwise, may have an important impact on your life, or even on the world. They may be people who would live life to its utmost, and bring a joy to their parents that they enver suspected they could experience. There are just a lot of factors. But, as I said at the beginning, it's a very personal view.
That's not what I'm talking about and you know it. Lets speak in specifics. This has nothing to do with selecting for a master race, looking at things like eye colour, hair colour, etc. I see babies born with genetic conditions that are incompatible with life. Some of them are inherited in such a way that their parents will have a one in four chance of having another child with the condition each time they conceive, Why shouldn't they try to avoid that? Is it better to keep taking their chances?
If you view life as having starting when an egg has been fertilized, you wouldn't do in vitro anyways. I've never heard anyone draw the line at division, but if you do that's a personal matter and I'd never say you should be forced to discard any of them. Like it or not, embryos from in vitro are discarded. Discarding embryos which would result in children with conditions like CF and implanting healthy ones seems only logical to me. This isn't culling. It's not much different than choosing not to reproduce with someone who carries a genetic condition they would pass down. I wouldn't have children with someone if we had a 50/50 chance of creating a child with a serious disease. That's stopping them from existing too, but no one thinks twice about that.
By the way, I am around those with genetic disorders all the time. It's a part of my job. I'd say the same to you that you said to me. If you had seen some of the suffering I have, your view might be different. I could post links to conditions that are truly horrific. I've looked after babies whose own parents couldn't stand to look at them because they knew how much they were suffering before they died. I would never ask them to risk having that experience again. I'm not talking about parents trying to avoid having a child with diabetes or something, I'm talking about seriously debilitating and sometimes fatal conditions.
I do remember watching a special about a man with epidermolysis bullosa on TLC. It's a condition where your skin basically comes off, causing horrible pain and leaving them susceptible to infection. I've looked after two babies with it in the last 5 years, both died eventually. He actually said he thinks it would have been better to abort anyone with his condition than subject them to his pain. He didn't live feeling sorry for himself, he had a very active life with family and friends but he didn't think his suffering was worth passing on. I don't see nobility in knowingly risking creating a child who will suffer from a terrible genetic condition that could have been avoided.
Those movies took away choice though didn't they? No one suggests that here. There could very well still be a Stephen Hawking because he was conceived naturally. Many parents choose to continue with their pregnancies even knowing their child will have a disability. That's not the same as using in vitro and selecting healthy embryos to implant.
What the doomsday science fiction people seem to forget is that in vitro is an expensive and difficult process. It will never be what most people use to procreate for those reasons. The majority will still do things the old fashioned way. The only people willing to pay for the process and go through it are those unable to conceive naturally or those REALLY concerned about passing on a genetic flaw.
Don't many abnormalities occur during in-vitro growth and development rather than pre-fertilization?
Perhaps treating the egg will accomplish only a few irregularities and some will show up during the gestational period - which will be treated after birth or those which may not present until years after the child has fully developed....such as
...a genetic trigger we can't even detect until certain other factors also take place such as those which might occur in an aging human.
Perhaps treating the egg will accomplish only a few irregularities and some will show up during the gestational period - which will be treated after birth or those which may not present until years after the child has fully developed....such as
...a genetic trigger we can't even detect until certain other factors also take place such as those which might occur in an aging human.
Tracy you wrote:
Who said anything about giving genetic disorders on purpose? Where is the post located?
Who said anything about giving genetic disorders on purpose? Where is the post located?
I think the point is that we should use caution. It could be an extremely valuable tool as well as an extreme detriment. That's why we have the ability to judge issues and stuff. I think GM is a good idea, myself, and I say to those who wish it can't happen, perhaps we should ban fire because it can burn and ban water because it can flood.
It's in the original post.
To be exact, it says, "And is there a developing darker side in which parents intentionally alter a baby’s genetic makeup so he has the same condition, such as deafness or dwarfism, as his parents?"
My family has a genetic disposition to diabetes on my mother's side...
Her grandfather had it, her mother had it, a sister of hers had it, she developed it later in life, and we watch each new child born for signs but as they are tested regularly ( I cringe writing it ) so far we seem to be avoiding the disease or perhaps modern lifestyle has given the newer members more resistance or...I have no idea.
There is still no cure - however the testing and accuracy is so much better for those who have diabetes and the insult of insulin reaction or high sugar count weakened my mother until she was worn down and died very young....she would probably be alive today with the tests sufferers have which can be done at home.
Shhhhhhh so far no new victims....but we are watchful.
Her grandfather had it, her mother had it, a sister of hers had it, she developed it later in life, and we watch each new child born for signs but as they are tested regularly ( I cringe writing it ) so far we seem to be avoiding the disease or perhaps modern lifestyle has given the newer members more resistance or...I have no idea.
There is still no cure - however the testing and accuracy is so much better for those who have diabetes and the insult of insulin reaction or high sugar count weakened my mother until she was worn down and died very young....she would probably be alive today with the tests sufferers have which can be done at home.
Shhhhhhh so far no new victims....but we are watchful.
maybe it's irresponsible of me to reproduce, since i might pass on my type I diabetes? or maybe i should have had my babies screened for it?
I used to think i should never have babies for the very same reason.
I used to think i should never have babies for the very same reason.
Diabetes is easily treatable and people who have it have good prognoses. I'd have kids without altering their genetic makeup.
My mother has diabetes and she's 86 with no omplications due to the disease. Next door neighbor has diabetes and he's 90 something but he does have bad circulation in his lower extremities.
My mother has diabetes and she's 86 with no omplications due to the disease. Next door neighbor has diabetes and he's 90 something but he does have bad circulation in his lower extremities.
prognoses look good on paper. the reality is you have to stab yourself with a needle four times a day, resulting in giant obscene lumps of scar tissue all over you, and suffer the indignity of collapsing in public every now and then and waking up having bitten your tongue to shreds and pissed yourself. Then when you get older your eyes get mashed up your liver and kidneys start to fail and your feet start to rot from lack of circulation and then you die of a heart attack at about 55-60