Build Your Own Baby

[Sovieto]

If the procedure is simple and low risk of harm, I'm sure they would. Even then, I'd rather have a 50% chance my child would survive with no disabilities than born with disabilities. Don't think a woman would think the same way though..

 

[Napalmbrain]

In my bio class, we just finished genetics and I hate it now. It's like the most complicated thing I've ever learned so far. That's besides the point though

Anyway, I think that these genes should only be manipulated for disease prevention and disability prevention.

Doesn't this subject make you wonder about military use as well though? Putting together this scenario, couldn't a government use this genetic concept and make a stronger military out of it? The way I imagine it is that surrogate(sp?) mothers would sell their fetus to the military, allow them to do some genetic tweaks, and come out with a baby? Eventually raised to be a super soldier?

Does that make any sense to the science guys in here?

Ignoring for a moment the fact that would never fly in our current society, genetic engineering can't give you super soldiers. You can get physical improvements like sharp senses and excellent endurance, but you wouldn't be able to give them the right personality.

Why are we talking about disabilities now? I thought this was about altering hair color, facial features, height, etc. Babies aren't toys that you can treat anyway you'd like. No responsible parent would even risk having their baby tinkered with. Things like this are better left alone. :frown2:

As for the genetically retarded people, I feel that these scientists should take a different approach to curing them. Scientists do know all the answers, right?

I thought it was religious people who were supposed to have all the answers?

Let's put this way: if scientists have all the answers, and this is the answer they came up with, what does that tell you?

 

[ARav989]

Yeah Napalm, what you said makes more sense. Lmao I guess my scenario seems like more of a SciFi show xD (for now)

 

[Twilight Hero]

If the procedure is simple and low risk of harm, I'm sure they would. Even then, I'd rather have a 50% chance my child would survive with no disabilities than born with disabilities. Don't think a woman would think the same way though..

But messing with genetics is never low risk.

Let's put this way: if scientists have all the answers, and this is the answer they came up with, what does that tell you?

It tells me that I've been making the right decision to stick with God.

 

[SkullKid]

^I can't agree more. I love science, but it's always seemed to me that science is basically making up reasons for how this and that works, when God (from my beliefs, I'm Catholic) probably didn't make things from subatomic particles up. He just made them. God didn't think, Okay, first the embryo, then it grows, then it is released... No. He just made it. Science is, to the religious person, human interpretation of God's creation of everything in the universe.

Again, I am catholic, so this is my opinion based off my religion.

 

[Napalmbrain]

^I can't agree more. I love science, but it's always seemed to me that science is basically making up reasons for how this and that works, when God (from my beliefs, I'm Catholic) probably didn't make things from subatomic particles up. He just made them. God didn't think, Okay, first the embryo, then it grows, then it is released... No. He just made it. Science is, to the religious person, human interpretation of God's creation of everything in the universe.

Again, I am catholic, so this is my opinion based off my religion.

How do you know how God did it? I don't recall the Bible mentioning anything about God's train of thought while creating the world.

Also, scientists don't just make stuff up to explain everything. Okay, so some scientists do make up stuff up, but if their pet theory is to survive they need evidence to back it up.

 

[Rawr]

http://singularityhub.com/2009/02/25/designer-babies-like-it-or-not-here-they-come/

So, if you had the choice to change arbitrary aesthetic aspects of your child at no cost, would you?

Definitely not. This would lead to everyone looking alike, or perfect. The only good thing would be that people would be forced to look at the attitudes and personalities of their spouse.

This would make all guys, whenever a girl walks into the room, say, "Wow, she's hot." Wouldn't that get annoying? You'd get tired of the same looks, and people would start blowing off the idea of love, and the population would go down a bunch.

 

[LevesqueIsKing]

^Yeah, that sounds about right.

Napalm, I'm particularly interested in your response because you certainly have your information straight and we generally see eye to eye, but not in this case. Can I ask why you oppose the use of this technology for aesthetic purposes? Additionally, I like to differentiate between two types of opposition—one that you personally wouldn't take part in and one that you would like to ban anyone from taking part in (although extreme politics have recently made the former all but nonexistant). Would this just be a personal choice of yours, or is it stronger than that?

 

[Napalmbrain]

^Yeah, that sounds about right.

Napalm, I'm particularly interested in your response because you certainly have your information straight and we generally see eye to eye, but not in this case. Can I ask why you oppose the use of this technology for aesthetic purposes? Additionally, I like to differentiate between two types of opposition—one that you personally wouldn't take part in and one that you would like to ban anyone from taking part in (although extreme politics have recently made the former all but nonexistant). Would this just be a personal choice of yours, or is it stronger than that?

I oppose it for aesthetic purposes because I don't consider it my place to impose my own wishes on my child by giving them say, black hair instead of blonde. As for whether it should be banned for everyone, I'm somewhat torn on the issue. On the one hand, my strong individualist ideals say parents should not have the right to impose their own wishes on their child, but they also say it's not my place to impose my beliefs on them. So I guess I would come under the former, if only because of my disdain for extreme politics.

 

[AndThen?]

I believe that an embryo at the stage of screening isn't really a "child" yet, anyway. There's potential for it to become this black-haired baby, but that doesn't mean it's a black-haired baby. Might as well be blonde.

 

[anax4aero]

I believe that an embryo at the stage of screening isn't really a "child" yet, anyway. There's potential for it to become this black-haired baby, but that doesn't mean it's a black-haired baby. Might as well be blonde.

That's a good point there, are we really customizing babies or potential babies?

I love how there's no real definition of at what point a person is born, or of at what point a person is dead. Freaky.

And as for the enforcing it on everyone not to do it or just not doing it...the problem is that if you're a minority of people not doing it, your child may grow in a world where he/she is subpar and we all know that leads to social suffering (ty high school).

 

[Napalmbrain]

I love how there's no real definition of at what point a person is born, or of at what point a person is dead. Freaky.

"Birth" is quite clearly defined. It's the point where you leave your mother's body. The question is, at what point do you become truly alive?

As for death, I would say define it as the point of brain death. It's the definition usually used by doctors and in the law, and there isn't any coming back from it. Of course, there are some arguments about how brain dead you have to be...

 

[Brawny]

I believe that an embryo at the stage of screening isn't really a "child" yet, anyway. There's potential for it to become this black-haired baby, but that doesn't mean it's a black-haired baby. Might as well be blonde.

Uh...your genes are set out for you right when the egg is fertilised.

 

[Rawr]

Plus tons of people are wasting money making their baby blonde-haired, when it would already be blonde. But that's besides the point.

Customizing your family members is defying the whole idea of family. Families are supposed to go through weird situations, it helps the younger ones come of age, and mature. But if you could choose your family, it makes it so people wouldn't ever have weird situations, so people wouldn't mature. Everyone would be stupid and have no common sense.

 

[Brawny]

...I'm against it as much as you are...but what?