Reminds me of the idiocracy intro. All people think about is getting more, until they can no longer have it.
US startup charging couples to 'screen embryos for IQ'
31–40 of 53 posts
Re: US startup charging couples to 'screen embryos for IQ'
#32[dead]
Re: US startup charging couples to 'screen embryos for IQ'
#33I'm not sure how well incentivized these organizations are to correctly use the GWAS data vs just appear to do something and then take your money. Assortive mating and then maybe screening for stuff like Tay-Sachs and autism would for sure be cheaper (assuming there's not backlash against those screenings too...)
There absolutely is backlash against screening for autism, as absurd as that is.
What business is it of the government what parents choose to screen for? Even more pointedly, how can one support elective abortion and not support genetic screening for whatever the parents want to screen for?
Re: US startup charging couples to 'screen embryos for IQ'
#34My embryos were one of the early participants in this startup (at a vastly higher sum haha). My wife lets me try out some of these things for a laugh. In our case, our ethnic backgrounds did not lend themselves well to their program (you’ve got to be well represented in the UK Biobank). But it was good fun. Ultimately, we’ve still got to feed these children and teach them and raise them to adulthood and I look forwar…
You have a very optimistic view on eugenics in practice
Everyone has an optimistic view of eugenics in practice when it comes to mate selection. How is embryo selection any different?
Re: US startup charging couples to 'screen embryos for IQ'
#35My embryos were one of the early participants in this startup (at a vastly higher sum haha). My wife lets me try out some of these things for a laugh. In our case, our ethnic backgrounds did not lend themselves well to their program (you’ve got to be well represented in the UK Biobank). But it was good fun. Ultimately, we’ve still got to feed these children and teach them and raise them to adulthood and I look forwar…
I thought myopia has a significant environmental component, eg doing most of our development indoors instead of outside in bright sunlight?
Myopia is considered a highly heritable condition. See sources 12-17 on this paper as a starting point https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8947159/#B12-childr...
That does not mean that there is no environmental factor, but it does mean there is a genetic factor.
Re: US startup charging couples to 'screen embryos for IQ'
#36Gataca was a cautionary tale, not an instruction manual.
Yes it was a cautionary tale, but not about the technology, but about the role of empathy and the human spirit.
The actual technology of Gattaca has already started 50 years ago with the first "test tube babies" and IVF treatments. You get a "optical selection" of the most well developed blastocysts, checking for symmetry, growth rates, and other biomarkers, without even resorting to DNA sequencing selection.
It will absolutely make the world a better place long term - all of our children can be genetically "the best of us", according to various criteria. I'm all for it.
Re: US startup charging couples to 'screen embryos for IQ'
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
There absolutely is backlash against screening for autism, as absurd as that is.
It's not absurd, once you remember that autistic people are human beings with feelings. Edit: Sort of shocked that I am having to spell this out to all the "but embryos..." posters, but the backlash is coming from autistic human people with feelings. I was not insinuating some anti abortion sentiment.
I am a diabetic. It doesn't make me a worse person, but it does make my life more difficult. If I had the ability to screen for diabetes for my child, I would do so. Because the fewer things that make my child's life harder, the better.
Same thing.
Re: US startup charging couples to 'screen embryos for IQ'
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
You have a very optimistic view on eugenics in practice
Everyone has an optimistic view of eugenics in practice when it comes to mate selection. How is embryo selection any different?
The difference is selecting for or against specific alleles vs playing the 50-50 haploid game.
Re: US startup charging couples to 'screen embryos for IQ'
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
You have a very optimistic view on eugenics in practice
I do, partly because my wife and I are beneficiaries of it already. We had our genomes available in the first place because our embryos are likely to grow into children with congenital conditions (my wife and I are carriers) and pre-implantation testing is what has enabled us to dodge the high-likelihood errors. Walk into an obstetrics clinic in San Francisco and you’ll find pamphlets for https://www.natera.com/women…
The eugenics question aside, Natera is an awful, scammy business:
https://zlk.com/press/ntra-class-action-learn-about-the-nate...
https://hindenburgresearch.com/natera/
https://www.classaction.org/news/class-action-alleges-custom...
Re: US startup charging couples to 'screen embryos for IQ'
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
I do, partly because my wife and I are beneficiaries of it already. We had our genomes available in the first place because our embryos are likely to grow into children with congenital conditions (my wife and I are carriers) and pre-implantation testing is what has enabled us to dodge the high-likelihood errors. Walk into an obstetrics clinic in San Francisco and you’ll find pamphlets for https://www.natera.com/women…
The eugenics question aside, Natera is an awful, scammy business: https://zlk.com/press/ntra-class-action-learn-about-the-nate... https://hindenburgresearch.com/natera/ https://www.classaction.org/news/class-action-alleges-custom...
Oh, interesting. We used a different service. Glad we dodged that. Thank you.
EDIT: Though, on reading, it appears that the 'scam' in question is that they received prior authorization from insurers by using doctors' credentials. The service itself works as-is.
All of our stuff is just straight up medical expenses out of our bank account. No insurer is involved in our use of IVF or PGT since we just use concierge care. Insurance-based care is probably the best way for folks to get it affordably right now, but if you have the money you definitely want to be getting concierge service: no delays and no one between you and the person providing you the service.