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[TAJ]

I wonder how fast they'll find the "gay" gene.

Those studies about every older brother you have increasing your chances of being gay by about a third suggest to me that it's epigenetic.

 

[nelchaar]

if they ever figure this out the human race is going to turn into a 100% smoking hot species

then our standards of beauty will go up even more

and it will be a never ending cycle of prettier eyes, more flaxen hair, bigger boobs, longer dongs

WHATAFUTURE

A lot of these physical features are affected by more than one gene and even epigenetic modulators. It's unlikely that editing one gene will get you such results. Heck, we don't even know the gene(s) associated with height! What we do know are the genes behind diseases such as Thalassemia, Cystic Fibrosis and Huntington's. It is likely that we can edit those out and make healthier adults.

 

[FunkyPajamas]

I'm ready for plasmids. A Chinese Rapture!

 

[DOWN]

I'm ready for plasmids. A Chinese Rapture!

0/10 idea

would not trust that made in China submerge

 

[Coolluck]

Born too late to be perfect. Go China!

 

[TatteredHat]

This is really interesting.

 

[shira]

if they ever figure this out the human race is going to turn into a 100% smoking hot species

then our standards of beauty will go up even more

and it will be a never ending cycle of prettier eyes, more flaxen hair, bigger boobs, longer dongs

WHATAFUTURE

What? You won't be able to photoshop your embryo into Angenlina Jolie

 

[Bucket Mouse]

Born too late to explore the Earth, born too soon for dank genes.

 

[Husker86]

I wonder how fast they'll find the "gay" gene.

Hopefully they concentrate on actual issues, since these are scientists.

 

[Ooccoo]

Do you really think other countries are not trying to edit genes? Wake up

 

[la flama blanca]

Do you really think other countries are not trying to edit genes? Wake up

avatar quote.
I wouldn't be surprised if this was old news and they're actually even further along in the process.

 

[Fenom]

I can't remember if it was in the rama series or not. But they explain about the extinction of a civilization due to altering genes,
that with each successive generation cause more damage until suddenly one generation they realized what irreparable damage they've done and go extinct.
Something like this scares me, messing with something that evolution took million upon millions of years to create. Can't possibly know what genes are being submersed each generation.

 

[DeaviL]

Man, i love games with character creation.

 

[squidyj]

Well, we'll get there eventually.

 

[Mr.Mike]

There's potential for a massive increase in inequality in this gene-altering future. Hopefully government's make sure these procedures are available to everyone, and not just those who can afford it. The eventual gains in productivity and penis-size will more than make up for the cost of the policy anyway.

I look forward to my perfect future children.

 

[webkatt]

Chinese master ace incoming!

 

[DeaviL]

There's potential for a massive increase in inequality in this gene-altering future. Hopefully government's make sure these procedures are available to everyone, and not just those who can afford it. The eventual gains in productivity and penis-size will more than make up for the cost of the policy anyway.

I look forward to my perfect future children.

I suppose we all have some sort of impossible dream.

 

[Nekofrog]

What? You won't be able to photoshop your embryo into Angenlina Jolie

they can just hit the enhance button, right?

 

[Mr.Mike]

I suppose we all have some sort of impossible dream.

The productivity gains would be massive, business would demand it. And socialists would want it to prevent a caste system. This leaves a bunch of libertarians and environmentalist types who'd probably oppose it, but I don't think that's enough to stop it.

If anything, such a policy not happening would be "impossible".

 

[Eos]

wow this is pretty interesting

 

[Fenderputty]

I'm all aboard this train.

So am I.

 

[AndyD]

I can't remember if it was in the rama series or not. But they explain about the extinction of a civilization due to altering genes,
that with each successive generation cause more damage until suddenly one generation they realized what irreparable damage they've done and go extinct.
Something like this scares me, messing with something that evolution took million upon millions of years to create. Can't possibly know what genes are being submersed each generation.

Luckily this would never happen to the population as a whole, as we would still have a variety of populations and random mutation.

But what you describe is not unlike the European ruling families of the past few hundred years which were becoming more and more interbred, with increasing genetic issues due to their aspirations for maintaining rule within families. The regular folk were fine, but the rulers were worse and worse.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_intermarriage#Inbreeding

Effectively what would happen with this is that some diseases would be eradicated for everyone (a la vaccines now), but cosmetic stuff would be for those who can pay.

 

[DrROBschiz]

As suspected, altering genes is not flipping a switch...

Our bodies actually have DNA repair mechanisms (which is the main prevention of cancer until we age) right?

 

[Fenderputty]

There's potential for a massive increase in inequality in this gene-altering future. Hopefully government's make sure these procedures are available to everyone, and not just those who can afford it. The eventual gains in productivity and penis-size will more than make up for the cost of the policy anyway.

I look forward to my perfect future children.

I wonder if this nightmare scenario would be on a country by country basis. Places with universal healthcare seem likely they won't face the same class issues as a place like the U.S. Where health matters are for profit.

 

[ronito]

George Bush was right! Beware the human/animal hybrids!!!

 

[Version 3.0]

Bring on the designer humans! I'm willing to donate the good parts of my DNA.

 

[ThatGuyAgain]

Built to order babies from China incoming?

 

[hwateber]

Am I a bad person if the first thing that came to mind was Chinese domination in the olympics?

 

[The Technomancer]

We are not in a sociopolitical situation that I would be comfortable with "designing for strength or intelligence" in. That's not to rule out the future, but a global society as already predisposed to plutocracy as ours shouldn't have access to that technology

 

[AndyD]

Am I a bad person if the first thing that came to mind was Chinese domination in the olympics?

That can be achieved with selective breeding. I think several countries have semi-tried this over the past decades, match top athletes together, then keep them close to the system, so children can have access to athletic facilities.

 

[DOWN]

There's potential for a massive increase in inequality in this gene-altering future. Hopefully government's make sure these procedures are available to everyone, and not just those who can afford it. The eventual gains in productivity and penis-size will more than make up for the cost of the policy anyway.

I look forward to my perfect future children.

? I'm not quite sure why the government would pay for this for individuals

 

[Condom]

? I'm not quite sure why the government would pay for this for individuals

Preventing diseases could be a thing the government can pay, I would just ban cosmetic changes to a certain extent. Or just don't finance them, depending on the impact of the changes.

Pretty much just like cosmetic surgery.

 

[Syriel]

China wants to make the X-Men a reality.

 

[Neverforget]

Hopefully this kind of studies will become less taboo, it has the potential to cure many diseases or at least help us understand our biology better.

 

[D1renegade]

This will cause wars.

 

[DOWN]

Preventing diseases could be a thing the government can pay, I would just ban cosmetic changes to a certain extent. Or just don't finance them, depending on the impact of the changes.

Pretty much just like cosmetic surgery.

Don't know that they have much reason to pay to alter nonviable embryos either. And a viable embryo might not qualify unless it costs more to treat than eliminate the potential embryos Dna.

More likely that as usual, people would seek adoption of they can't afford IVF and such, so this would likely be no different. A specialty private treatment. But who knows?

 

[Insane Metal]

Wow. That is crazy. I hope to see some improvements in the area, but considering how freaking complex a DNA is, I'd say it's something that will take a loooong time.

 

[Kieli]

I believe the individuals who conceptualized CRISPR are in line for a Nobel Prize in the not-so-distant future.

I also thought sequencing whole genomes could get as inexpensive as $1000 a pop?

Also, the only reason Western scientists have not done anything like this is because ethics doesn't allow it.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

It is a shame that we have to look outside of the West to truly get the innovation we need in this area and many others.
The taboos and meekness of our cultural sphere is leaving our researchers behind as more rational countries get ahead.

 

[Vilam]

Good. You can't stop progress, why fight it?

 

[Portugeezer]

Meh, this is where we are going, take the good with the bad, like it or not. Even if some nations object to it, others won't, which will either cause tension/wars or force the hands of eachother. Like Nukes, you want them but you don't really want them.

I'm hoping this doesn't take off in our lifetime. This would probably lead to different classes of human bred specifically for one job. Like a stupid working class or soldiers with no emotions. If anyone would do that, it would be the Chinese.

US does shit like this secretly.

 

[Slightly Live]

The Bio-Engineered Olympics are closer to reality!

I want to see how far we can push humanity. Make us faster, smarter, stronger. Splice that genome.

 

[Icyflamez96]

Good. You can't stop progress, why fight it?

#cantkillprogress

 

[Orbis Tabula]

Badass. Bring it on.