Predetermined Humans

[Guest]

Genetics is a quickly growing field in the biomedical tech industry. With all the advances like the mapping of the human genome. This technology mostly is to help cure or find cures to genetic diseases. Ultimately though like every other medical procedures/findings, people will take advantage and use it for cosmetic purposes. I think that brings up a very big social issue. Since in todays society we are being constantly bombarded with images of stautuesque beauty, physical beauty has been put at the forfront. Well I think we can just debate that subject for awhile but thats not the subject I want to see answers to.

OK, here are my questions:

1. Would you purposely alter your fetus's DNA so that they will grow up to have a certain eye color, hair color, certain height, etc.?

2. Would would be your reasoning behind your decision whether it would be yes or no?

 

[Guest]

 

[Sillyman]

Intresting question, especially for an Unregister. I might genetically alter the child to prevent weight gain. It's rampant and would have detrimental effects in almost any area the child goes into. I might also give certain cosmetic changes to other features, depending on how much of a pain in the ass it would be to possess those features. I want my child to have as easy a time with life as humanly possible.

 

[Guest]

Genetics is a quickly growing field in the biomedical tech industry. With all the advances like the mapping of the human genome. This technology mostly is to help cure or find cures to genetic diseases. Ultimately though like every other medical procedures/findings, people will take advantage and use it for cosmetic purposes. I think that brings up a very big social issue. Since in todays society we are being constantly bombarded with images of stautuesque beauty, physical beauty has been put at the forfront. Well I think we can just debate that subject for awhile but thats not the subject I want to see answers to.

OK, here are my questions:

1. Would you purposely alter your fetus's DNA so that they will grow up to have a certain eye color, hair color, certain height, etc.?

2. Would would be your reasoning behind your decision whether it would be yes or no?

BTW, those were my thoughts and questions, the system logged me out before I could send it under my screenname.

 

[Artemesia]

1. Would you purposely alter your fetus's DNA so that they will grow up to have a certain eye color, hair color, certain height, etc.?

[ I wouldn't for those superficial traits, but possibly for lethal diseases. Okay, maybe acne - but that's pretty lethal - socially at least.


2. Would would be your reasoning behind your decision whether it would be yes or no?

Because being so shallow would haunt me for the rest of my life. And really, there's something to be said for letting nature take its course.

 

[medjay]

I think it's silly. It's people's differences and oddities that make living interesting.

Genetic tampering for cosmetic purposes is the ultimate in shallowness. Might as well buy a puppy.

 

[Debbie]

1. Would you purposely alter your fetus's DNA so that they will grow up to have a certain eye color, hair color, certain height, etc.?
No.
2. Would would be your reasoning behind your decision whether it would be yes or no?
Because I think babies are meant to be surprises as to what they look like. Also if you alter a persons DNA? What could be the possible side effects? It doesn't bear thinking about.
Having a baby is not like writing a shopping list,
Blues eyes check
blonde hair check
6 ft 2 check
slim build check
etc

When my kids were born I wasn't thinking eye colour, hair colour etc it was 1, 2 3 yip 8 fingers, two thumbs, ten toes yip. Healthy? Yip Yahooo! A healthy baby.

 

[kiwiwolf]

#1 Never

#2 I'm with Debbie on this one. As long as all the bits and pieces are ther and the plumbing works well, it's a perfect baby to me. Hair and eye colour and other incidentals like that don't matter at all. Good questions.

 

[medjay]

You play the cards that are dealt you. People should realize by now that no matter how much you try to bend the rules, Mother Nature always wins in the end.

 

[ma_guy]

You play the cards that are dealt you. People should realize by now that no matter how much you try to bend the rules, Mother Nature always wins in the end.

Well said. You play the game and you get what you get. You're just as likely to end up with an incompetent tech and instead of blonde hair you get a kid with 6 feet - growing out of their forehead! OOPS! Soooo sorry about that!

Mother Nature is one angry bitch to be fuckin' with.

 

[Graymouse]

Hmm. Interesting discussion.

1) Absolutely not in terms of any purely cosmetic physical attributes.

2) Variety is a good thing. So-called physical "flaws," barring those that affect health, aren't flaws at all. The problem is with societal perception. If we make available the technology to create designer babies, it's a given that option is not going to be available to everyone. Then we end up with the whole "Star-Bellied Sneech" scenario, and it just gets ugly. Conversely, I'd be entirely supportive of genetic engineering to weed out hereditary illness, although that's a lot more complicated than some people make it sound.

Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to be possible to get the legislation in place before some idiot fertility doctor starts his own "build your own baby" business, despite what I would imagine is the majority opposition to this. Such individuals--morons in my opinion--like the ones working on pet cloning, etc. make me embarrassed to be in the reproductive field .

 

[hogjack]

Hmm. Interesting discussion.

1) Absolutely not in terms of any purely cosmetic physical attributes.

2) Variety is a good thing. So-called physical "flaws," barring those that affect health, aren't flaws at all. The problem is with societal perception. If we make available the technology to create designer babies, it's a given that option is not going to be available to everyone. Then we end up with the whole "Star-Bellied Sneech" scenario, and it just gets ugly. Conversely, I'd be entirely supportive of genetic engineering to weed out hereditary illness, although that's a lot more complicated than some people make it sound.

Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to be possible to get the legislation in place before some idiot fertility doctor starts his own "build your own baby" business, despite what I would imagine is the majority opposition to this. Such individuals--morons in my opinion--like the ones working on pet cloning, etc. make me embarrassed to be in the reproductive field .

Besides, legislation, if you mean the US Federal and State governments, only covers facilities under their jurisdiction. It's a big world and labs can be set up on land & sea to do a lot of the field work, etc.

 

[peachykeen]

On impulse, I want to say no, never. However if I could ensure that my daughter did not have to have my tits, I might consider it.

 

[medjay]

The movie Gattaca got into this whole issue. Even the idea of genetic engineering to remove physical ailments still opens a can of worms. There will still be the haves and the have nots. Now let's widen the gap even further so the rich will have perfectly healthy babies while the poor still have to deal with sickness and disease. Don't think these techniques will be available to just anybody.

I'm sure genetic illness is one common equalizer many folks would love to get rid of if they can afford it.

(Am I starting to sound paranoid now?)

 

[nawtyleanni]

You play the cards that are dealt you. People should realize by now that no matter how much you try to bend the rules, Mother Nature always wins in the end.

I don't know... I think humans are gaining ground.

 

[MechaBlade]

1. I would rid it of any genetic illnesses or abnormalities (like extreme weight or a 3'3" stature.)
2. Illnesses are bad. Being a weird kid is bad. Saying one eye color is better than another is bad.

 

[MechaBlade]

The movie Gattaca got into this whole issue. Even the idea of genetic engineering to remove physical ailments still opens a can of worms. There will still be the haves and the have nots. Now let's widen the gap even further so the rich will have perfectly healthy babies while the poor still have to deal with sickness and disease. Don't think these techniques will be available to just anybody.

I'm sure genetic illness is one common equalizer many folks would love to get rid of if they can afford it.

(Am I starting to sound paranoid now?)

And the problem with Ethan Hawke's character in Gattaca was that he wasn't genetically corrected. The question (now) is, would you leave your kid alone, having faith that other parents would follow suit and prevent the Gattacan society, or help your kid out, at least partially, to prevent him being an outcast like Ethan was?

 

[medjay]

1. I would rid it of any genetic illnesses or abnormalities (like extreme weight or a 3'3" stature.)

But then there wouldn't be any dwarfs to play those important roles in the movies (you know; Ewoks, Time Bandits, Mini Me's, etc.)

 

[JazzManJim]

1 - Yes I would, absolutely.

2 - There are about a gazillion studies out there that have shown that those cosmetic things about people do matter in terms of job interviews, college admissions, finding a desirable mate, job promotions and performance evaluations. Those advantages may well be subtle, but they do exist. If changing those genes means that my son or daughter have those small advantages already given to them, then it's a good thing. We already try to make ourselves and our children those things in much less precise ways as those genetic alterations will prove to be down the road. If I can give them a leg up, why shouldn't I?

 

[MechaBlade]

But then there wouldn't be any dwarfs to play those important roles in the movies (you know; Ewoks, Time Bandits, Mini Me's, etc.)

I think Elijah Wood did a perfectly fine job in Fellowship of the Ring. Time Bandits should have never been made.

 

[medjay]

1 - Yes I would, absolutely.

2 - There are about a gazillion studies out there that have shown that those cosmetic things about people do matter in terms of job interviews, college admissions, finding a desirable mate, job promotions and performance evaluations. Those advantages may well be subtle, but they do exist. If changing those genes means that my son or daughter have those small advantages already given to them, then it's a good thing. We already try to make ourselves and our children those things in much less precise ways as those genetic alterations will prove to be down the road. If I can give them a leg up, why shouldn't I?

There are plenty of unattractive people who work jobs, go to college and get married.

But on a different note: Physical attractiveness will always be in the eye of the beholder. Everyone shouldn't look like everyone else. I happen to like women with freckles and gaps in their teeth.

If people start altering their children based on some westernized standard of beauty we'll be coming too close to rehashing the idea of the "master race". That's been done before and no one liked the outcome.

 

[Private Vasquez]

Nope

I'm not that shallow or selfish.

 

[Diablogrl]

no...like stated above, its all about nature taking its course on this one. Now, I would like to change my own DNA...but that's for another thread.

Sidebar: did anyone see that article about the clinic in Europe that allows wealthy couples for a mere 8,400 euros to choose their fetus's sex? Any thoughts on this?

 

[SkyBluAngelEyes]

1. Would you purposely alter your fetus's DNA so that they will grow up to have a certain eye color, hair color, certain height, etc.?

2. Would would be your reasoning behind your decision whether it would be yes or no?

1) No. I would never alter the DNA of a fetus. Even in the case of certain illnesses or disorders.

2) My reasoning is because in most cases, it is not nice to fool with Mother Nature. He (God) has made us a certain way and that's the way it should be. No offense to anyone who thinks different. I've lost a child, not to a physical ailment, but I know how bad this would affect a person, and furthermore, I also think this is natures way of give and take.