Ethics of genetic engineering

[Wolfbeckett]

Those are pretty low-level fixes in my opinion. What if we could rewire the brain or genes so that doing good feels orgasmic and doing bad triggers nausea or heart attacks? Much better society results if you are not one of those 'free will' believers.

There's a very interesting anime show called Shin Sekai Yori that goes into this. Basically, in the world of the show, people have evolved to have incredible psychic powers, and those powers end up almost destroying the world. At the time when the show takes place, the main characters are living in a society after all of that happened, where people have been genetically manipulated to the point where using their powers as a weapon literally kills them (among other forms of engineering that also took place). Really interesting show with some great questioning of the whole genetic engineering issue.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I think it depends on the breed of dog. A lot of working dogs seem to enjoy what they do, and make very poor house pets, especially when they're not being given something to do in a very controlled manner.

Apparently I am a bad influence. My girlfriend and I have three dogs from working breeds. They nap. A lot. And seem very content doing so. Otherwise they mostly play in a pretty much uncontrolled manner, and seem very content with that as well.

 

[Borachio]

Greyhounds will lie about doing nothing for days on end. I think they're the exception. Most dogs seem to go nearly mad with boredom. Unless they're been specially bred as lap dogs. And a lot of those seem to be insane in any case.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Greyhounds will lie about doing nothing for days on end. I think they're the exception. Most dogs seem to go nearly mad with boredom. Unless they're been specially bred as lap dogs. And a lot of those seem to be insane in any case.

We have a Siberian Husky. Any questions about her behavior are answered with "She is in training for the Iditarod; we're making sure she is well rested." Her two shepherd dog (Belgian and Australian) packmates herd her to her designated napping place and then go to sleep themselves. Work is not a thing hereabouts.

 

[Triewd]

I certainly don't think applications of genetic engineering should be directed by Bronze Age social mores.

A culture with less bigots is the better fix as it comes with all kinds of other benefits.

And what if we find out that what you call Bigotry is actually completely necessary? When you get right down to it discrimination is choice, and strong beliefs are bigotry

a person who has strong, unreasonable beliefs and who thinks that anyone who does not have the same beliefs is wrong: a religious bigot He was known to be a loud-mouthed, opinionated bigot.

Its integral you can't yank out just that gene without doing some serious rewiring of the human brain you would have to rearrange peoples heads, and doing so would probably be a form of bigotry itself.

 

[Farm Boy]

Darnit Tim, you're going to wind up making me disagree with El Mac eventually, and I don't like disagreeing with El Mac. It's exhausting in the best possible way.

 

[FriendlyFire]

So, the issue came up in another thread.

Homosexuality has harsh consequences (at least until society undergoes much better correction than has so far been applied), so if it is genetic and can be screened out, should parents do so? This met a barrier in the form of many people thinking a more mature society would be the much more appropriate 'fix', but also opened up the issue of "fixing" things that are more universally acknowledged as defects, with deafness being the cited example.

However, even that example had questions. There are some pretty militant deaf people who don't acknowledge deafness as a 'defect'. No one had brought it up yet, but there is a certain amount of "don't fool with mother nature" sentiment to consider. There's also a question about whether a society needs genuinely disadvantaged members to maintain a healthy level of communal humility. And whether people with some sort of disadvantage may be uniquely driven to excel in other areas such that eliminating the disadvantages would produce a net social loss.

I make no claim to having answers, by the way, so I'll let someone else go first with opinions.

1) Long life
2) Higher IQs
3) Remove Genetic disorders
4) Enhanced Human capabilities. (strength, sight, vision etc)

 

[Hygro]

Being gay shouldn't be screened out because seriously what's better than being a dude and dating dudes who date dudes?

 

[Timsup2nothin]

1) Long life
2) Higher IQs
3) Remove Genetic disorders
4) Enhanced Human capabilities. (strength, sight, vision etc)

What makes long life desirable? From a society standpoint.

 

[Hygro]

Society is composed of individuals?


I just want to be young longer. (I know, I know...)

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Society is composed of individuals?


I just want to be young longer. (I know, I know...)

Society is composed of individuals, and most of them would benefit from having fewer old people lingering around beyond the point of providing any benefit to anyone, including themselves.

 

[FriendlyFire]

What makes long life desirable? From a society standpoint.

Because it would accelerate scientific advancement along with increased IQs and a far more robust human body. Just imagine an doctor with 300 years of experience and carrying out medical research.
Genetic engineering should be optional, no one will be forced, eventually DNA modifications will be able to be done outside the embryonic stage with retro viruses and adult humans will be able to choose which DNA modifications they want. But by that stage humanity will probably have changed beyond our understanding.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Because it would accelerate scientific advancement along with increased IQs and a far more robust human body. Just imagine an doctor with 300 years of experience and carrying out medical research.
Genetic engineering should be optional, no one will be forced, eventually DNA modifications will be able to be done outside the embryonic stage with retro viruses and adult humans will be able to choose which DNA modifications they want. But by that stage humanity will probably have changed beyond our understanding.

That's going to take a whole lot more improvements than 'long life'. Most productive research is done early in careers, not late, and in the US most lives already not only last far beyond peak productivity, but pretty well beyond any productivity.

 

[FriendlyFire]

That's going to take a whole lot more improvements than 'long life'. Most productive research is done early in careers, not late, and in the US most lives already not only last far beyond peak productivity, but pretty well beyond any productivity.

I see you idea of what DNA modification is completely different to mine. We essentially age when our DNA pattens are damaged in reproduction, longevity via embryonic engineering will probably be by splicing in genes which will likely mean a longer youth, longer working life and a longer senior period as well. Hopefully with other Genetic modifications human productivity will continue well into the senior stage of life.

DNA via retro virus most likely means resetting our DNA pattens which would mean a 50 year old about to retire become a working 20 year old again. We have no idea how many times this can be done but many think that most likely death will come from memory or brain disorders rather then death by old age or body failures.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

It's that longer senior period that's the problem. We don't seem to have any actual shortage of humans around here as it is. Unless you plan on some really draconian limits on reproduction longer life only makes things worse, not better, especially if you are extending that period after productivity has ceased.

 

[FriendlyFire]

It's that longer senior period that's the problem. We don't seem to have any actual shortage of humans around here as it is. Unless you plan on some really draconian limits on reproduction longer life only makes things worse, not better, especially if you are extending that period after productivity has ceased.

Would you propose that humanity problems would be reduced by doing the opposite by shorting everyone's longevity ?

While there will definitely be problems and such technology which will change society forever, not just people living longer and have longer period of being old / aged
If you think about it marriages will change, probably larger families, longer education and increased robotized labour force
Just think about gaoling criminals and how we will need new kind of punishment for major crimes.

 

[Birdjaguar]

New technology can bring great new benefits, but it also brings the unexpected and the not so great. People have a penchant for using all tech for both good and bad ends. I cannot imagine that messing with DNA will be any different. Greed and power tend to trump everything else for a lot of people. The brave new world we are entering will just provide new contexts for us to demonstrate what kind of person we are.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Would you propose that humanity problems would be reduced by doing the opposite by shorting everyone's longevity ?

While there will definitely be problems and such technology which will change society forever, not just people living longer and have longer period of being old / aged
If you think about it marriages will change, probably larger families, longer education and increased robotized labour force
Just think about gaoling criminals and how we will need new kind of punishment for major crimes.

I'm not proposing shortening life spans, but there is little doubt that among the most pressing economic problems in America at the moment is how to deal with the aging baby boomers.

 

[Birdjaguar]

I'm not proposing shortening life spans, but there is little doubt that among the most pressing economic problems in America at the moment is how to deal with the aging baby boomers.

Don't be messing with my social security you young whippersnapper and get off my lawn too!!

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Don't be messing with my social security you young whippersnapper and get off my lawn too!!

I live in California. We aren't allowed to even have lawns!