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Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

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Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#51

Post by JumpCrisscross »

wyldfire wrote: post #15
whatshisface wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's better for them should be the overriding concern and that's to have a normal development.

I don't know if it's the case for folks with Down Syndrome (I suppose it's likely not), but hearing-impaired folks have their own culture to the point that in the past it was seen as some as a betrayal to the community to seek out cochlear implants. I think having their own language does a lot to create unity among them. All that above is to say that I wonder if some folks in Down Syndrome might actually prefer their…

> cochlear implants

Cochlear implants are reversible. A genetic disease is not.

Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#52

Post by School-Cotton »

loeg wrote: post #35
RajT88 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not advocating any course in particular. But I will observe that when such treatments become available, such conditions become a marker of lower socioeconomic class and the people with the conditions get treated less well by society. This is why we need a better healthcare system.

It's hard to imagine a treatment cost so high that it wouldn't be worth the USG paying for it. Down syndrome kids and adults have some quantifiable economic cost; normal adults are worth some other quantifiable economic benefit; the difference is going to be significantly more than the cost of treatment.

The US government is not one person or a small set of people with a coherent strategy making decisions based on cost-benefit analysis. It’s an extremely complex emergent system whose properties can only be understood by studying them empirically, not by appealing to arguments about what a human would think is worth it or would make sense.

Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#53

Post by JumpCrisscross »

Barrin92 wrote: post #49
SegfaultSeagull wrote: post #37

[flagged]

it wouldn't, if the implication of you wondering is supposed to be if someone will find and treat a "gay gene". Homosexuality is (like almost all complex traits[1]) influenced by thousands of genes in addition to environmental, social, cultural factors etc. [1] https://www.quantamagazine.org/omnigenic-model-suggests-that...

> Homosexuality is (like almost all complex traits[1]) influenced by thousands of genes in addition to environmental, social, cultural factors etc.

Homosexuality is also preserved across practically all social animals [1], and–I believe–absolutely all that form monogamous pairs. That isn't true for Down syndrome [2], which manifests much more like a disease.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexual_behavior_in_animals

[2] https://allthatsinteresting.com/animals-with-down-syndrome

Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#55

Post by heavyset_go »

chrisweekly wrote: post #42
heavyset_go wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Willing to bet money that it will, there's a ton of investment right now in what I'd call blatant eugenics. There are companies right now making bank on embryo selection based on genetics, the next step is modifying genes instead of rolling a crap shoot and hoping to get what they want. Funnily enough, such companies are funded by and led by some HN subcultures' favorite people, I would know because I was recruited b…

"went out of their way to not mention" This construct is a bit of a head-scratcher that takes away from the rest of your comment; "failed to mention" would've done the trick. As for Gattaca as a source of inspiration for future parents... yikes.

When you're selling customers a big ticket item like that with one side of your mouth, and are failing to mention it to prospective hires, you have to go out of your way to dance around it.

They emphasized certain genetic selections that sound good, but failed to mention that the leadership, investors, marketing and customers are actually really concerned with this one specific trait that sounds bad, that's selective omission.

Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#56

Post by creakingstairs »

mathgeek wrote: post #29
puppycodes wrote: post #10

Interesting, I wonder what else this might lead too! Encouraging we might be getting somewhere. I used to live near a Down syndrome center where a bunch of folks lived and I remember this one lady who was kitted out with Britney Spears everything, lunchbox, t-shirt, hat, and headphones. Everyday I passed by the bus stop she would be dancing her heart out to a Britney track waiting for the bus and it made my world a l…

> Everyday I passed by the bus stop she would be dancing her heart out to a Britney track waiting for the bus and it made my world a little brighter. As someone who absolutely loves to "be weird", I often wish the world was so much friendlier to folks like this (other than in a token manner).

Is it just me or do I feel like the society is way more accepting nowadays? I had to pretty much hide who I was during school due to fear of bullying/ not fitting in but most kids these days seem to be able to be themselves in many ways. I agree we can be friendlier though!

Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#57

Post by SJC_Hacker »

It was well on its way to being eliminated in much of the First World through screening during pregnancy at around 2-3 months. Alot of mothers were electing to terminate the pregnancy and perhaps try again.

Especially much of Europe which didn't quite have the moral objections against abortion that the US does, save for a few countries who still have substantial observant Catholics such as Ireland and Poland.

Here's a story about Iceland https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-01/iceland-prenatal-test...

Re: Scientists may have found a way to eliminate chromosome linked to Down syndrome

#58

Post by cogman10 »

scheeseman486 wrote: post #17
wyldfire wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know if it's the case for folks with Down Syndrome (I suppose it's likely not), but hearing-impaired folks have their own culture to the point that in the past it was seen as some as a betrayal to the community to seek out cochlear implants. I think having their own language does a lot to create unity among them. All that above is to say that I wonder if some folks in Down Syndrome might actually prefer their…

Down syndrome has significant developmental effects beyond mental impairment, lifespans are considerably shorter and while that's improving that doesn't take into account quality of life, medical complications are almost inevitable.

The mental impairment shouldn't be understated. We are talking about people that will perpetually need care and supervision.

Don't get me wrong, I think it'd be great if society could give these people more than poverty after their parents die, but as it stands, unless that person was born into wealth they are looking at misery when the state becomes their caretakers.

I have a child with a server mental disability, I love them pieces, but frankly what happens to them after I'm gone is one of my biggest concerns.

That's the hard reality I wish people hand wringing about the ethics of avoiding down syndrome would confront. It's one thing to call them a blessing, but are you going to push and advocate for government spending so these blessings don't end up in a hellhole when they are no longer cute children?

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