Designer Babies: would you do it?

Odyne

Odyne

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What do you think of the prospect of modifying offspring genetically for the sake of having more desirable traits?

A friend of mine said: “If it ever becomes a standard procedure, I would. If I don’t, then I am setting my child at a disadvantage” I thought it was an interesting thought.

He and I discussed then the benefits of curing genetic diseases and having a generally healthy and resilient species, but then I thought of the ever increasing human population and the planet’s resources.

Then I thought about de-individuation and uniformity and how everyone may become this mas produced unit of all the same desirable traits.

Anyways, my thoughts went on racing, but I’d like to hear what you guys think. Any benefits or risks that come mind in short term or longterm? How do you personally feel about it? Feel free to go sci-fi.
 
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Watch Gattaca.

If the technology really worked, then I would at least want to avoid any genetically passed on diseases. Beyond that, I am not so sure what I would want considering that any other alternations might have terrible unintended consequences.

For instance, most people might say they would want highly intelligent children, but highly intelligent people tend to be miserable. Is it really okay to have babies with IQ of 180+ by today's standards if they are going to hate their lives?

And some people might want children who are what society deems to be attractive, but that might not be the same as what is healthy (i.e. by giving someone a faster metabolism than necessary). You always have to wonder about the unintended consequences of altering that as well.
 
Less people today want to have children than before. Maybe by a small margin, but still... eventually having children will become an exception rather than a rule.

On the other hand, life expectancy is increasing, and there are more and more news about rejuvenation and life extension research. Sure, initially it'll not be available to everyone, but so were all the other technologies. With the cost going down, eventually we might find ourselves in a society of young-looking old people. Not necessarily a bad thing: people, after all, learn with age.
 
No. It's a waste of money and disrespectful to all of the people who have ever lived fulfilling lives despite imperfect appearances.
I don't think the technology to make them immune from the mutating effects of radiation will be ready in time. Double bummer.

:usa2:

Also, I think there is more to health than is understood/acknowledge by mainstream science. That at root it is more about how you feel about yourself.
Knowing you were designed because your parents couldn't risk you being an embarrassment will lead to more self-loathing and more diseases.
That being said, I did always like games where you could create your own character. So I'd still like to have a go and then back out at the last minute.
 
This is probably how humanity is going to evolve into separate species, and then there will be huge battles between the 'enhanced' and the 'not enhanced', and somehow or other, religion is going to get involved. Probably. Hypothetically. I bet it will happen one day.

I wouldn't do it for looks, but if I could prevent certain genetic diseases, I'd at least consider it.
 
Natural selection is kind of a big deal to nature. In the long run,
designing offspring will turn out to be a huge mistake just as
GMOing non-human animals is already becoming.
 
Eugenics should stay dead with Hitler.
 
I feel like a lot of us have strong feelings on this
despite our short responses they're all worded
very powerfully.
 
I wish there was a little bit more than just feelings in these posts.
 
this is only temporary said:
Even the one about the turkey?
Because after pushing one of those out, the last thing you're going to want to do is eat. Just saying. ;)
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I know! Poultry is no longer on the menu today. lol
 
Sorry, here, I will try more seriously: Okay, I do feel like this is one of those things that has tremendous potential for either good or bad, and may not be fully understood yet? I have no doubt many people in the world will jump all over this given the chance, and to some degree it is already happening, a little bit, there are places where people are already choosing their babies' gender.

P.S. Also, you know that BRCA gene that can cause breast cancer? I know women who have fought cancer and have lost mothers and sisters to it, and undergone mastectomies and radiation and chemotherapy -- it's really difficult, to put it mildly. I'm sure these people would go to great lengths to ensure that their babies do not carry this gene. It is a horrible thing to unknowingly pass on to another person -- I'm sure if people could avoid that, they would. There are other genetic diseases that most people would never willingly pass on if they had the choice.
 
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Odyne said:
I wish there was a little bit more than just feelings in these posts.
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I think that even seriously contemplating it as an option is going balls deep into a paradigm that is swiftly coming to an end.
But it will only ever be those who have no concept of the true value of this mortal life experience who would.

They're the same ones who, knowing they face certain death, choose to spend their last moments in a traffic jam in disaster films.
Or go to the network of caves they're clearly not allowed into like they're trying to get into a cool party. No dignity, essentially.
They're the people who run away from the unavoidable tidal wave that has just taken hundreds of lives inseparable from their own.
The ones who can't see the beauty, wonder and most importantly...wisdom...in these things and so want to avoid unpleasantness.

Trying to cheat life is cheating yourself and the only soul who would be born a designer baby would be one who is still not ready to face life as it is.

More power to them, this world is nothing if not wacky as fuck. But it would be better to expand your awareness before deciding this life is not good enough as is. Maybe then they would realise society's standards are ridiculous and illness, even terminal and drawn-out, is not inherently bad.
Also they might learn to take some personal responsibility instead of trying to paint over the cracks in their own lives.

This is easier said than done, and I don't mean to make value judgments about people.
But they are often the same who reject solutions because it would mean admitting being at fault.
To try and change how life is made so as to not bruise ones ego is something I just cannot consciously relate to.
 
Well, I'd have to think about it more depending upon the options and the cost. I'd probably consider it as far as avoiding crippling physical, mental or genetic abnormalities, and you can take that however you want. While a child may turn out to be a better or stronger person for overcoming such challenges, I suppose I'd prefer to err on the side of removing them. I can imagine a child of mine growing up and asking "Couldn't you have done something about this since you had the option?" whereas I'd have a harder time imagining them asking "Couldn't you have left me with my crippling illness since you had the option?" In the former [strike]latter[/strike]* case, I think it would be difficult for me to just step back and say "You gotta play the cards you were dealt". I figure that there will be plenty of opportunities for fucking up, getting cut down by the world, and otherwise finding misfortune throughout life, that can result in building character.

Aside from that stuff, I wouldn't be concerned with basic physical features or augmenting intelligence or personality.

Now, if the procedures by which this could be done were not backed by solid and consistent research, then I wouldn't want to gamble with my unborn kid's fate and would prefer to leave things up to natural chance.

That to me is an interesting question in itself: If the technology existed but was imperfect, say, 50/50 that things either turn out well or get messed up further, would you take that gamble if your line had a genetic predisposition to something that would drastically affect quality of life? My gut answer would be no, but I wonder what others think.

/ballsdeepinwhatevercornerstonejustsaidbro
 
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The first generation producing enhanced children would be looked down upon by their progeny - because of the progenitors' inferiority, both genetic and moral.
 
Genetic diversity is evolutionarily beneficial for a species' survival. If such engineering were pervasive, we would really just be reproducing asexually, but in accordance with our idea of perfection... Sexual reproduction might even be considered taboo.

I can see eliminating some genetic diseases, personally I wouldn't go beyond things that are either crippling, like missing organs, or lead to much shorter lives. Genetic traits which may not seem beneficial in the least can turn out to be things that will allow them to exist better in different circumstances, or synergize better with other people in general/have just been overlooked. There are many blessings in disguise or ones that we just lack the insight to recognize.

In short, we don't understand or control our environment, or ourselves, well enough to predict what is really a good trait or not.
 
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This has me to wonder if the human race was originally "designed", in a broad sense of creation. For the most part, I cannot figure how two young people madly in love would even think about designing a child. I agree with [MENTION=3224]Kanamori[/MENTION]. We don't even know if the FDA will allow it, anyway(snark).
 
just me said:
This has me to wonder if the human race was originally "designed", in a broad sense of creation.
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Interesting. Just me, feel free to run with this thought a little further.
 
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