[Echoes]

A mate from nottingham needs to know: what do you guys think of doctors/scientists modifying the DNA of humans, like we already do with animals, bacteria and plants, to cure (e.g cure cyctic fibrosis, sickle-cell anaemia, haemophilia, etc) and/or improve humans (making them more resistant to disease, making them less likely to get cancer, taller, fitter, less likely to get fat, etc)?

[HolteEnder]

To cure diseases - fine.

To make them perfect - Not fine.

[Echoes]

where do you draw the line between what is a genetic disease, and what is a handicap, and what is just an imperfection? e.g. once you've cured all genetic diseases, what do you do about genetic shortsightedness?

[Forgone Conclusion]

I don't know. Generally I'd expect myself to go yeah, let science do what it can - certainly as far as diseases go. But like Bradley says, the problem is where do you draw the line? I think actual diseases SHOULD be able to be interfered with - the sort o thing that would be treated with medicine once somebody is alive.
Eye colour, hair colour, taller, fitter, etc no - or certainly put in a non-medical section (maybe treat it in the same way we treat non-reconstructive plastic surgery now?). My main worry is about how interfrerin in DNA would affect you as a person - personality wise; which is something we can't necessarily tell with plants, etc. In this case I don't know enough. Would it/could it have a sort of butterfly effect? How would a person feel as a human if they knew they'd been genetically engineered? It's a tricky subject, and I think science here ha evolved far quicker han humanity's concept of right & wrong, morals etc (as it so often does) and we're simply not ready to tackle this question yet

[Echoes]

i think that for most modifications to someone's DNA, there wouldn't be a direct impact on the brain. However, it is important to know before we start doing this on a big scale, how someone feels to have their DNA altered permanently, and how people around them react. Would people be so stupid as to attach a stigma to it, start calling people freaks, mutants, or cheats? We're (probably) all born with things we'd like to change. Obviously, some are more serious than others - like predisposition to cancer, or cystic fibrosis, etc. But maybe there would be a significant number of people out there that will demand all-or-nothing permission to alter your own DNA; after all, it's yours, and yours only, and doesn't harm anyone around you... maybe there's a rational argument to be made here that this is not so different than tattos, body piercing, etc? The only difference is that the changes you make to your DNA will probably be passed on to your kids (not necessarily, especially if you're a woman, I think, since the eggs are pre-fabricated.... not sure about this aspect)

[We The Damned]

I think if you don't like your hair color. Dye it. If you don't like your eye color. Poke them out with a fork.

[where_i'm_calling_from]

i remember in hollow man the guy had his genes messed with and he went crazy and so therefore genetic manipulation is wrong.

actually he might not even have had his genes messed with, they just injected him with this green stuff. still, pretty sobering.

[Echoes]

yes... very sobering

[The Phlegmy One!111]

What an idiotic comment.

Anyway, I see the point that if people are not harming others, then why should they not be able to do what they want. The thing is depending on what is included in genes, we could potentially speed up our evolution to insane levels while those that choose to go the natural way will be fucked. Also it wouldn't be like Johnny Twoshoes going in to have surgery and coming out like a healthier smarter person. Surely the engineering must be done before the fetus is created right? You can't really alter the DNA of an adult can you?

[Forgone Conclusion]

Anyone wanna get drunk tonight?

[Echoes]

The Phlegmy One!111, on Mar 15 2007, 03:38 PM, said:

What an idiotic comment.

Anyway, I see the point that if people are not harming others, then why should they not be able to do what they want. The thing is depending on what is included in genes, we could potentially speed up our evolution to insane levels while those that choose to go the natural way will be fucked. Also it wouldn't be like Johnny Twoshoes going in to have surgery and coming out like a healthier smarter person. Surely the engineering must be done before the fetus is created right? You can't really alter the DNA of an adult can you?

To a certain extent you could. A retrovirus is capable of inserting its DNA into your own in individual cells so that they start making the proteins it needs to make new copied of itself. Using that principle, it might be possible to 'infect' someone with a 'retrovirus' that delivers the new DNA into your cells so you start making a protein that improves your memory, stops abnormal production of a bad protein, etc etc.

[darkened_charlie]

Forgone Conclusion, on Mar 15 2007, 03:43 PM, said:

Anyone wanna get drunk tonight?

i am drunk right now

[RainMaker]

Things Like Dna should never be tampered with.

This post has been edited by RainMaker: 16 March 2007 - 07:37 PM

[Vintage]

I think it would only end badly if we began fucking with nature more than we already do.

[We The Damned]

STOP THE VIOLENCE!!!

[The Phlegmy One!111]

Stop replying to every thread ever made Sanitarium!!

[We The Damned]

finally! i was waiting for someone to tell me that! fuck, what took so long?

[drillboy]

how the hell do you justify blaming your immature spamming upon the rest of rockforums users, thats blatently moronic.

as for the actual topic:
i think that screwing with the DNA of humans has a very fine limit. if some doctor wants to do something to me to stop me from getting cancer, let it be. but if some celebrity wants to pay a heap of cash to get blue eyes then i completely disagree. its the ultimate of being fake, changing the way you look permanently is wrong and changes your entire self as a human even though all you actually change is your eye color. its just being untrue to yourself and is downright wrong.

if that made any sense to any of you, im glad.

[We The Damned]

i dont really blame you guys...just thought i'd say it

he made me realize something thats all...it was more of a thank you...what he made me realize was that i was becoming a post whore...

and yeah actually that makes a lot of sense. except. if i was a doctor and some dude gave me an assload of cash to give him 1/2 green, 1/3 blue, 1/6 red/ 1/12 yellow, 1/12 white...i'd do it

but from and outsiders view...i disagree with changing yourself...but agree with maidfying it to save my life