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What is the problem with gene editing? It will allow us to remove hereditary diseases from the population, and enhance the capabilities of the next generation.

What is the problem with gene editing? It will allow us to remove hereditary diseases from the population, and enhance the capabilities of the next generation. Being in control of our own genome seems completely reasonable.

zwkrt 7y ago
Gene editing is the most morally ambiguous and worrying development of technology humans will probably ever encounter. We may not be humans by the time we are done with it, although this in itself could be a beautiful and exciting development. I don't know the future, but imagine being treated like an anti-vax nutjob because you refuse to edit your kids genes to make them more docile and passive in the name of "herd wellness". Imagine having to choose which subspecies of mutually incompatible human you would like to be, or even just living in such a world. If we think we have racism now, just wait!
- bluGill 7y ago
  I'd love to edit high cholesterol out of my family.
  - zwkrt 7y ago
    I'd love to edit intelligence and perseverance out of my enemies' families. EDIT: Ok that was argumentative, but really children do not have a choice to be thrown into this world, and to think that there is someone who knows better about how this should be done is the absolute highest hubris.
    - MisterOctober 7y ago
      yeah indeed - the potential to weaponize gene editing is tremendous. "Brave New World" may look like an egalitarian utopia if that potential is realized.
dannykwells 7y ago
Likely a troll comment but I'll respond like it's not since this is so important: Ummm, have you seen Gattaca? Let me spoil it for you: it doesn't end well. Every reasonable scientist working in CRISPR is against editing the human germline. Here is a good piece on it: https://www.nature.com/news/don-t-edit-the-human-germ-line-1.17111 https://www.nature.com/news/don-t-edit-the-human-germ-line-1... Also note, why do you assume that "we" would be in control? Suppose a government took control of your genome? Or a private company? Given the expense there is almost no way it would be democratic.
- Creationer 7y ago
  I have seen Gattaca - the society was able to achieve interstellar colonisation, and the story focuses on one young fraud, who despite health defects, cheats his way into the program. Gattaca presents a Utopian future, not a Dystopian one. "We" will be in control because embryos cannot be edited without a process that is essentially IVF. If governments are going to force this on women, we have bigger problems to deal with. It will be as straightforward as a couples using the technology to select for and against certain straightforward traits.
- simplespace433 7y ago
  I watched Gattaca and drew the opposite conclusion. The film defends science through by walking us through the consequences of clinging to the superstition of our ancestors. Being genetically inferior does not wipe away the human drives to belong and achieve. The life of those less fortunate is harder and it is dishonest to pretend that everyone has an equally fantastic life. The main character suffers because of the careless choice his parents made. Even though his parents change their views and recant with their second child, the protagonist remains left behind. In the world of Gattaca we see that only a few religious nut jobs inflict natural conception on their children. They are called god-born because they are the product of religious extremists. Genetic engineering is common and accessible to all classes. For example portable genetic testing services so ubiquitous that they are available at company party. As viewers, we should take away what I means to choose to cripple another human permanently. You should think long and hard about winning Jesus points for a second life by consigning a real person with the same ability to feel and dream to Hell in this life.

zwkrt 7y ago

Gene editing is the most morally ambiguous and worrying development of technology humans will probably ever encounter. We may not be humans by the time we are done with it, although this in itself could be a beautiful and exciting development. I don't know the future, but imagine being treated like an anti-vax nutjob because you refuse to edit your kids genes to make them more docile and passive in the name of "herd wellness". Imagine having to choose which subspecies of mutually incompatible human you would like to be, or even just living in such a world. If we think we have racism now, just wait!

bluGill 7y ago
I'd love to edit high cholesterol out of my family.
- zwkrt 7y ago
  I'd love to edit intelligence and perseverance out of my enemies' families. EDIT: Ok that was argumentative, but really children do not have a choice to be thrown into this world, and to think that there is someone who knows better about how this should be done is the absolute highest hubris.
  - MisterOctober 7y ago
    yeah indeed - the potential to weaponize gene editing is tremendous. "Brave New World" may look like an egalitarian utopia if that potential is realized.

dannykwells 7y ago

Likely a troll comment but I'll respond like it's not since this is so important: Ummm, have you seen Gattaca? Let me spoil it for you: it doesn't end well. Every reasonable scientist working in CRISPR is against editing the human germline. Here is a good piece on it: https://www.nature.com/news/don-t-edit-the-human-germ-line-1.17111 https://www.nature.com/news/don-t-edit-the-human-germ-line-1... Also note, why do you assume that "we" would be in control? Suppose a government took control of your genome? Or a private company? Given the expense there is almost no way it would be democratic.

Creationer 7y ago
I have seen Gattaca - the society was able to achieve interstellar colonisation, and the story focuses on one young fraud, who despite health defects, cheats his way into the program. Gattaca presents a Utopian future, not a Dystopian one. "We" will be in control because embryos cannot be edited without a process that is essentially IVF. If governments are going to force this on women, we have bigger problems to deal with. It will be as straightforward as a couples using the technology to select for and against certain straightforward traits.
simplespace433 7y ago
I watched Gattaca and drew the opposite conclusion. The film defends science through by walking us through the consequences of clinging to the superstition of our ancestors. Being genetically inferior does not wipe away the human drives to belong and achieve. The life of those less fortunate is harder and it is dishonest to pretend that everyone has an equally fantastic life. The main character suffers because of the careless choice his parents made. Even though his parents change their views and recant with their second child, the protagonist remains left behind. In the world of Gattaca we see that only a few religious nut jobs inflict natural conception on their children. They are called god-born because they are the product of religious extremists. Genetic engineering is common and accessible to all classes. For example portable genetic testing services so ubiquitous that they are available at company party. As viewers, we should take away what I means to choose to cripple another human permanently. You should think long and hard about winning Jesus points for a second life by consigning a real person with the same ability to feel and dream to Hell in this life.