Designer Babies [Opinions?]

Modern technology is allowing parents and doctors to screen babies for genetic disorders, diseases etc. This can happen either by testing the sperm / egg cells before fertilization (making test tube babies, essentially), or through gene therapy - which involves testing on an embryo.

The general fear / controversy on this subject is the fact that some people think this will stop being just about curing genetic defects - and move onto people choosing hair colour, eye colour etc.

What's your opinion?

I don't see any problems with this. Although, I don't think it should be up to the parents to decide what their child is going to be like.

Let's choose our kids hair, eye colour and bust, who cares;
Besides those people who think god made this world so we aren't meant to have fun, especially with the fun parts he put in it.
Weird thing is, they hardly care about them self, but how they can make other people feel miserable.

No control to anyone besides the parents though and anyone who argues against this is looking forward to have hittler try to love him up the rear in hell.

[edit: hardly anyone will try to do that with a sane mind in the near future, because you won't have the possibility to enjoy much of your lovely princess or herculean, if she/he isn't getting older than 4 because of malicious cancer. Just not worth it in the end, because that's quite the opposite of what would be tried to be accomplished with all that gene-fondling first place.]

lol i had a class discussion about this in school, funny, its kinda against most religions so i guess im against it.

I see no problems with it. Being able to choose hair and eye color isn't going to start some major catastrophe.

I think this is pretty cool.

My son can be the reincarnation of Hitler with a few egg mods?

Hell yeah

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Originally Posted by xkittyxlicksx

Modern technology is allowing parents and doctors to screen babies for genetic disorders, diseases etc. This can happen either by testing the sperm / egg cells before fertilization (making test tube babies, essentially), or through gene therapy - which involves testing on an embryo.

The general fear / controversy on this subject is the fact that some people think this will stop being just about curing genetic defects - and move onto people choosing hair colour, eye colour etc.

What's your opinion?

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didnt scientists say they were able to change the baby's gender like 3 years ago?

Well, this screening can be quite misleading.

For instance, someone I know around here had their baby screened for disorders. They were told by the doctor that they would have a ******ed baby girl. The parents didn't listen to this and ended up having a perfectly healthy baby boy..... yea thats right, they couldn't even get the gender right.

So, at least at this stage of the game I am against screening and such. I don't think our doctors are quite up to speed on the whole thing, and perhaps the technology isn't as polished as we had hoped.

Down the road though, once they have more experience and such with this type of thing I think it could be beneficial.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xkittyxlicksx

Modern technology is allowing parents and doctors to screen babies for genetic disorders, diseases etc. This can happen either by testing the sperm / egg cells before fertilization (making test tube babies, essentially), or through gene therapy - which involves testing on an embryo.

The general fear / controversy on this subject is the fact that some people think this will stop being just about curing genetic defects - and move onto people choosing hair colour, eye colour etc.

What's your opinion?

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now - if you wanna do it then do it


50 years time - SAY NO! TO GATTICA

im serious.

How are you likening it to Hitler? Nobody is forcing anybody to do this, it's pure choice, and nobody is getting harmed.

You admit you're archaic like it's a good thing. Don't like it? Don't do it. I notice you don't spell God, are you religious? Because you realise that the implication is that God gave us free will and the ability to create this kind of technology, if he does exist, right?

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Originally Posted by Norrin Radd

How are you likening it to Hitler? Nobody is forcing anybody to do this, it's pure choice, and nobody is getting harmed.

You admit you're archaic like it's a good thing. Don't like it? Don't do it. I notice you don't spell God, are you religious? Because you realise that the implication is that God gave us free will and the ability to create this kind of technology, if he does exist, right?

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Don't open that can of worms (god giving us the ability of science). I have raised that to religious people before and it falls on deaf ears. Funny how religion can be quite selective in that aspect.

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Originally Posted by Norrin Radd

How are you likening it to Hitler? Nobody is forcing anybody to do this, it's pure choice, and nobody is getting harmed.

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Lol Norrin, do you realize that the parents of the child are choosing FOR THE CHILD. The child is not choosing because it cannot choose. Who is the one effected? Sure as hell not the parents except to have a trophy baby of sorts. And my point is that people can assume it'd be to forcefully conform a person to what many think is "better" or superior. Hitler ordered the execution of those with disabilities and whatnot. Do you still not get my point?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Norrin Radd

You admit you're archaic like it's a good thing. Don't like it? Don't do it. I notice you don't spell God, are you religious? Because you realise that the implication is that God gave us free will and the ability to create this kind of technology, if he does exist, right?

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"Archaic sob" is saying it like it's a good thing? Sorry, but if I said you're the only progressive son of a ***** in here, would you think I'm saying that's a good thing? I was actually mocking those that have used the word Archaic to label me.

I'm not religious and I don't believe we have free will. I just can only take so much "As long as it doesn't effect me" carebear bs.

I'm neither archaic nor progressive, I'm situational.

Somehow, this reminds me of Hitler.

The thing is, we can't simply stop scientific advancement because it might be used for evil purposes. If we tried, then we would have to ax nearly every facet of modern science, including Metallurgy, Physics, and especially Chemistry.

Everything in the world can be used for good or bad purposes, but that doesn not mean we have to ignore it all. Genetic modification (And this is assuming it even goes anywhere, and there is no guarantee that it will) is capable of some really awesome stuff; good stuff. Yes, it can be used for evil, but we cannot stop all evil just by forbidding things. We can try to combat the evil as it comes, by making sure people appreciate human rights and discourage discrimination, but thats all.

i agree with MK and the thing about not stopping scientific advancement, thats true.



but at the end of the day you have to admit, alot of people follow social trends/norms whatever you want to call them.

every generation has a certain % who follow trends. its not always a bad thing.




but this modifying is bad in my eyes because of its implications.


theres nothing wrong with parents wanting a healthy child, or a healthy child with blue eyes, or a healthy child with blue eyes and blonde hair, or a healthy child with blue eyes and blonde hair and a default height of 6 feet, or a healthy child with blue eyes and blonde hair and a default height of 6 feet and an immunity to heart disease, or a healthy child with blue eyes and blonde hair and a default height of 6 feet and an immunity to heart disease and preposition towards being smart, or a healthy child with blue eyes and blonde hair and a default height of 6 feet and an immunity to heart disease and preposition towards being smart and perfect vision, or a healthy child with blue eyes and blonde hair and a default height of 6 feet and an immunity to heart disease and preposition towards being smart and perfect vision and vast numerative skills, or a healthy child with blue eyes and blonde hair and a default height of 6 feet and an immunity to heart disease and preposition towards being smart and perfect vision and vast numerative skills and awesome flaming skills


but you see my point

once you start there is a snowball effect

it starts off with "good intentions" but give it fifty years and you end up creating "super" beings with no flaws..... thats when you get rampant factionalism and alot of social problems.

just look at it in the long term and you see its bad.


the day human beings are produced the same as products (ie: towards specific specifications) is the day that we stop being human.

its a bad thing in my eyes.

You know... I can't believe it's taken so long for someone to ask this, but where is the initial article that spawned this? i.e. Is there any solid proof that any of this is even possible, or are we just debating the consequences of a fantasy idea?