Genetic bullshit
This Discovery channel story, about a mouse conceived without sperm, raises more than a few questions.
I’m not interested in answering them.
What I do know, is that we have entered into an era of genetic manipulation. The tools have been proven to exist and to work. In very little time we will begin to see genetic fiddling for all manner of reasons and not all of them will be exactly altruistic.
Oh, hell, I think it would be nice if we could find ways to prevent birth defects, to prevent heart problems, etc. etc. etc.
I think those things may happen, but I think the emphasis will be on something else. I think women will want genetically enhanced breasts. Men, larger penises. People will want smarter or more athletic children. People will use the new technology for specifically vain purposes, because that’s what people do. Another way for the medical community to increase the flow of the Money River for them. The current sturm und drang about the De Niro film about cloning gives just one example of how this could be used for the kind of “instant gratification” I’m talking about.
No law will ever control this. No doctor will ever decline to do a procedure when tall cash is to be made. Only a strong sense of morality will even allow you to look at this in any reasonable light. Soon enough this tech is going to explode onto the scene and must be dealt with. Will you be ready?
will i be ready. hard to say, although i am all for enhanced breasts, i think you are right about cosmetic enhancements to come. don’t forget about eye and skin color. jaw lines…. height, hair color and so on.
how long before they start tinkering with eliminating the need for a womb. you just know women are going to want to skip the birthing process/experience.
will it all produce psyche problems? lots of very serious advances – changes – problems are upon us.
oh, and as some countries start to legislate, you know the black market will spring up in others to accomodate.
Heard an interview with Brian Sykes yesterday. He is in the US flogging his new book, Adam’s Curse. It posits that our Y chromosome is deteriorating to the point the male of the species will die out in about 150,000 years.
Move over Og, make room for when we Cro-Magnons move to Extinction City.
(I know, I know, there goes the neighborhood)
Rich
I’m not worrying about genetic engineering. Its not an ominous danger until Michael Crighton writes a novel about it.
(Jurassic Park)
Goddamit!