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Gene therapy restores hearing to children with inherited deafness

cosmosmagazine.com

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Re: Gene therapy restores hearing to children with inherited deafness

#91

Post by alexey-salmin »

Veraticus wrote: post #83
alexey-salmin wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being deaf is surely different from not being deaf but you can't objectively say it's a disadvantage. It's only a disadvantage in a world built for not deaf people, like being left-handed is a disadvantage in a world built for right-handed people.

I can and did say that. The world is easier for non-deaf people. I can’t imagine even many deaf people would argue against that statement. The correct way to argue against this isn’t to say that “objectively” the world is the same for deaf and non-deaf people; it’s that there’s a culture and language bound up in deafness that don’t deserve to die thanks to medical advances. That is true, and makes treatments like the…

If dolphins could communicate with us they would surely tell how much easier it is when you have ultrasonic hearing. All humans are therefore disabled and in need of fixing.

Or maybe not, if dolphins turn to be wiser than an average human.

Re: Gene therapy restores hearing to children with inherited deafness

#92

Post by LoganDark »

telesilla wrote: post #86
LoganDark wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish it were possible to achieve an entirely non-human body, but I don't think that's going to happen within any of our lifetimes.

Make sure to read Daniel Dennett before you change too much, you might forget who you are and become someone else entirely. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Is_It_Like_to_Be_a_Bat

I have Dissociative Identity Disorder, so I already become someone else all the time...

In all seriousness, at times I do genuinely wish species transition were possible. Imagine gender dysphoria but for species, so species dysphoria. It may sound insane, but honestly so can the entire concept of dissociative identities.

I don't know if I'd want to change my brain, but the physical properties of the body definitely. I want the body to be a fluffy quadruped...

Thank you for the link though, that is very interesting. It is intuitive, but not something that normally comes to mind~

Re: Gene therapy restores hearing to children with inherited deafness

#93

Post by herbst »

Veraticus wrote: post #78
alexey-salmin wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What makes you think that deafness is not the same as being left-handed? I mean objectively, not based on the current cultural norms which will be very different 50 years from now.

“Objectively,” left-handed versus right-handed changes nothing about a person’s capabilities in the world, whereas being deaf does. Cultural norms is an interesting comparison. Despite there being no actual difference in capacity, cultural views forced many left-handed people to be right-handed, making those people miserable in the process for no good reason.

Interestingly enough it was still common to train left handed kids in right handed writing up until maybe 40 years ago as it was seen as some kind of defect obviously.

Re: Gene therapy restores hearing to children with inherited deafness

#94

Post by sweezyjeezy »

alexey-salmin wrote: post #91
Veraticus wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can and did say that. The world is easier for non-deaf people. I can’t imagine even many deaf people would argue against that statement. The correct way to argue against this isn’t to say that “objectively” the world is the same for deaf and non-deaf people; it’s that there’s a culture and language bound up in deafness that don’t deserve to die thanks to medical advances. That is true, and makes treatments like the…

If dolphins could communicate with us they would surely tell how much easier it is when you have ultrasonic hearing. All humans are therefore disabled and in need of fixing. Or maybe not, if dolphins turn to be wiser than an average human.

If all humans could echo-locate except a subset who couldn't, I would say that group is at a small disadvantage, yes, because the set of things the main group can do is 'objectively' greater. I don't know how relevant it would be for us especially in the daytime, but hey.

Re: Gene therapy restores hearing to children with inherited deafness

#95

Post by herbst »

nehagup wrote: post #43

When I try and imagine what that must be like from the inside—I can’t think of anything more exciting or scary than to gain a new sense.

There are magnet Implantats you can put into your finger which lets you feel magnetic fields.

Re: Gene therapy restores hearing to children with inherited deafness

#96

Post by alexey-salmin »

sweezyjeezy wrote: post #84
alexey-salmin wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being deaf is surely different from not being deaf but you can't objectively say it's a disadvantage. It's only a disadvantage in a world built for not deaf people, like being left-handed is a disadvantage in a world built for right-handed people.

This feels a bit tenuous. What world do you envisage where it's a completely level playing field? Do we ban talking, music, sound in movies etc etc??

I think building a completely level playing field is a dangerous utopia. Essentially it's the same idea as fixing people to make them equal, just addressed from the opposite end.

Re: Gene therapy restores hearing to children with inherited deafness

#97

Post by ben_w »

LoganDark wrote: post #92
telesilla wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Make sure to read Daniel Dennett before you change too much, you might forget who you are and become someone else entirely. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Is_It_Like_to_Be_a_Bat

I have Dissociative Identity Disorder, so I already become someone else all the time... In all seriousness, at times I do genuinely wish species transition were possible. Imagine gender dysphoria but for species, so species dysphoria. It may sound insane, but honestly so can the entire concept of dissociative identities. I don't know if I'd want to change my brain, but the physical properties of the body definitely.…

I remember the Therian and Were community, back in the day. Some overlap with the furry community, but not a perfect subset.

Re: Gene therapy restores hearing to children with inherited deafness

#98

Post by alexey-salmin »

PierceJoy wrote: post #87
alexey-salmin wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being deaf is surely different from not being deaf but you can't objectively say it's a disadvantage. It's only a disadvantage in a world built for not deaf people, like being left-handed is a disadvantage in a world built for right-handed people.

It’s a disadvantage in the “built” world, but it’s also a disadvantage in the natural world. If you drop a deaf person in the middle of the forest with no one around, they will not be able hear rivers for water, they will not be able to hear animals approaching, etc. Being deaf is objectively a disadvantage because 4 senses is objectively worse than 5 senses.

Most of vertebrates (including human's ancestors) lost the 6th sense of electric fields in process of the evolution. Apparently 6 is not always better than 5 from the nature's point of view. Moles went further to loose sight as well.

Re: Gene therapy restores hearing to children with inherited deafness

#99

Post by rjh29 »

Veraticus wrote: post #78
alexey-salmin wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What makes you think that deafness is not the same as being left-handed? I mean objectively, not based on the current cultural norms which will be very different 50 years from now.

“Objectively,” left-handed versus right-handed changes nothing about a person’s capabilities in the world, whereas being deaf does. Cultural norms is an interesting comparison. Despite there being no actual difference in capacity, cultural views forced many left-handed people to be right-handed, making those people miserable in the process for no good reason.

You can't procreate, that sounds like a pretty big difference in capacity?

Re: Gene therapy restores hearing to children with inherited deafness

#100

Post by ben_w »

Auracle wrote: post #71
dyauspitr wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I presume at the point we can generate CAD like designer gene modifications, overexpression would just be another problem that can be fixed by more modification.

Eh, maybe you’ll run into the problem the Asgard had in Stargate. Too much editing over time = couldn’t procreate anymore. Little bugs add up.

That was a plot device that didn't make sense to me: they could upload and download a functional copy of their brains (and also human brains), but they didn't keep a backup copy of their old DNA?
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