Although we are already performing genetic engineering. Either the high tech way such as selection of desired traits via selecting the suitable embryos like this or the low tech way that has been going on for centuries like this.
It seems strange to me that despite knowing we can already do a lot in this we have not yet really looked at the implications of this and the ethics involved. It’s about time some resources were allocated to looking at the long term implications. This really is the initial stages of a genetic revolution.
You see as well as the benefits of ‘engineering’ a baby to reduce the risk of breast cancer or many other genetic issues you can also ‘design’ in attributes like blonde hair and blue eyes and as we get more advanced we will soon be able to produce a child that will grow up to look like a famous actor or actress. It boggles the mind to think of the horrific future that we were saved from when people decided to name their babies after Fergie when she married Prince Andrew. If the gene manipulation facility was available then just imagine the world now. It makes you shudder.
Personally I’m a libertarian but this is playing with another persons life. Potentially leaving them as a lookalike for an old famous person with potentially hundreds of duplicates of themselves around.
Can you imagine it in court. Well I was shot by someone that looked like Daniel Craig in the early 2000s. Well we interviewed all 300 of them and they all had an alibi . The real Daniel Craig didn’t so despite him being 80 he is on trial for attempted murder.
So I’m in favour of ‘fixing’ things like faulty genes or manipulating genes to give certain attributes such as ability to process fat stores or something to keep weight down but not eye or hair colour or effectively copying someone. It would be bad if everyone looked the same. As defined by a fashion magazine for what is seen as the most beautiful women or dashing man. Just pick a partner, any partner, but be careful it’s not your sibling. Actually, how would you know? You would have to do a DNA test.
However, like all progress. What needs to be done in a lab today will be able to be done in someones shed eventually. So it’s going to happen. We need to think about the implications now. Science is openning up entire new areas that we have not really thought about.
Is it the eugenics or the cloning you don’t like?
Eugenics. The ability to manipulate any aspects of appearance to build an ideal. Or should I say current ideal.
Cloning I see being useful only for spare parts. But we need to make sure the spare parts are small enough to be just kidneys or livers or if we are looking at full body that it does not grow any brain tissue. If it can think then it’s its body not yours. Potentially big ethics issue here.
Technology will be man’s downfall not saviour. Interesting post.
I agree technology is a double edged sword but I do believe that it will be to our long term benefit. Look at what it has done for us so far. Longer life, better health care, better life styles all around. What we need to do is spread it around a bit more. Perhaps if we discover something in Africa we need to power our next few decades then we could help them. Of course the way we do it all the walords will get the cash not the people same as in the ME with the oil.
Technology will save us given the chance.