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Human genetic engineering is coming

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Re: Human genetic engineering is coming

#11

Post by ravi-delia »

UweSchmidt wrote: post #5
acadapter wrote: post #4

This may seem like a controversial opinion, but I think that it's a good development. Some people have lost the "genetic lottery" in ways that make them dependent on medication. And for some, it may block career options, such as color vision deficiencies. We should embrace it, instead of painting dystopian scenarios. At least, we shouldn't stop people from fixing problems that they were unfairly born with.

From the article I learned that there is "somatic gene editing, a therapeutic application of CRISPR administered by injection to consenting subjects", as well as "germline editing, in which changes are made to the DNA of an embryo". The author is concerned by the latter and I think you describe the former.

What OP describes, at least to the extent that I agree with them, is both but mostly germline editing. Most genetic issues aren't really treatable after birth (though we are nowhere near the limit, so in the future who knows). Genes don't really code for traits so much after the embryo develops, most of the effect comes from the manual process of cells bumping against each other

Re: Human genetic engineering is coming

#12

Post by benreesman »

“I expect that human genetic engineering, both therapeutic and “vanity” applications, will become an unfathomably profitable industry in the coming decades. I am open to the possibility that germline editing could be ethically applied in narrowly defined arenas of public health. But the determination of where to draw the lines should not be left up to venture capitalists and self-centred founders, as it was to a large extent with the IT industry. They are already salivating.”

I thought I was terrified of this shit before, but that phrasing hits like the doorframe of a Crown Victoria.

Re: Human genetic engineering is coming

#13

Post by ramraj07 »

somewhereoutth wrote: post #2

The film Gattaca (1997) speaks to this better than I can.

I’d wager that it is the second most accurate and prescient science fiction movie only behind 2001. It’s also better than 2001 because it’s pretty much the only good sci-fi movie I know that didn’t involve a “fantastical” or god-like being/power playing a major role (in that regard tying with Martian).

Re: Human genetic engineering is coming

#14

Post by acadapter »

UweSchmidt wrote: post #5
acadapter wrote: post #4

This may seem like a controversial opinion, but I think that it's a good development. Some people have lost the "genetic lottery" in ways that make them dependent on medication. And for some, it may block career options, such as color vision deficiencies. We should embrace it, instead of painting dystopian scenarios. At least, we shouldn't stop people from fixing problems that they were unfairly born with.

From the article I learned that there is "somatic gene editing, a therapeutic application of CRISPR administered by injection to consenting subjects", as well as "germline editing, in which changes are made to the DNA of an embryo". The author is concerned by the latter and I think you describe the former.

I think I would be okay with germline editing too, in selected cases. It's not like a child is going to say "hey, thanks for not fixing my cancer-causing mutation when you had the chance, mum".

Re: Human genetic engineering is coming

#15

Post by emteycz »

xeornet wrote: post #6
acadapter wrote: post #4

This may seem like a controversial opinion, but I think that it's a good development. Some people have lost the "genetic lottery" in ways that make them dependent on medication. And for some, it may block career options, such as color vision deficiencies. We should embrace it, instead of painting dystopian scenarios. At least, we shouldn't stop people from fixing problems that they were unfairly born with.

And at what point does "problems that they were unfairly born with" stop?

Why should we stop improving?

Re: Human genetic engineering is coming

#16

Post by SemanticStrengh »

epigenetic alterations which is very similar to genetic alterations are already trivial to achieve for anyone right now. It's not that it is coming, it has been there for decades. Despite popular belief, people don't care about transhumanism/gerontology, more generally people can't care about things that require more than their very limited attention span.

Re: Human genetic engineering is coming

#17

Post by UweSchmidt »

rajin444 wrote: post #7

The current push for equity combined with the technical ability to genetically engineer humans is frightening. Society has decided we have "incorrect" levels of diversity...though nobody can answer what the correct levels are. Without any question of "how do you know what you're doing is correct" we're changing our environment as much as possible to achieve the "correct" level of diversity. It's pure luck we can only…

Maybe instead this stuff will be kept away from the general public and is only accessible to the true upper class, who is above the equity reshuffling of the unwashed masses anyway.

Capital and social capital is already giving their offspring an uncatchable advantage on, or outside of levelled playing fields. Genetic engineering could finally cement them into a biological royalty.

Re: Human genetic engineering is coming

#18

Post by istinetz »

It is coming, but too slowly. Everyone, including people itt, gesture vaguely towards "ethical considerations", without being able to specify what they are and how they outweigh the massive ethical benefits.

>I expect that human genetic engineering, both therapeutic and “vanity” applications, will become an unfathomably profitable industry in the coming decades.

The most important application, by far, dwarfing both therapeutic and vanity, is improvements to intelligence.

Re: Human genetic engineering is coming

#19

Post by istinetz »

SemanticStrengh wrote: post #16

epigenetic alterations which is very similar to genetic alterations are already trivial to achieve for anyone right now. It's not that it is coming, it has been there for decades. Despite popular belief, people don't care about transhumanism/gerontology, more generally people can't care about things that require more than their very limited attention span.

Can you elaborate on that? If it's "trivial to achieve for anyone right now", what does that mean? Is there any commercially available service?

Re: Human genetic engineering is coming

#20

Post by jimbob45 »

acadapter wrote: post #4

This may seem like a controversial opinion, but I think that it's a good development. Some people have lost the "genetic lottery" in ways that make them dependent on medication. And for some, it may block career options, such as color vision deficiencies. We should embrace it, instead of painting dystopian scenarios. At least, we shouldn't stop people from fixing problems that they were unfairly born with.

You say that but most of the ways that humans would want fixing have already been readily implemented via surgery. Between boobjobs, HGH, limb-lengthening surgery, hair transplants, and even labiaplasty, there’s very little you can’t fix on your body today.

My fear is that extremist groups and governments will use this tech to change children according to their religious or extremist doctrine. Stuff like growing women without clitorises to promote FGM in Islamic countries.

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