As an atheist, what is your opinion of genetic manipulation?
My opinion of genetic manipulation as an atheist is the same as my opinion of genetic manipulation as a Minnesotan. (Dave Holloway #1184)
I do think that there is an ethical question as to application to humans, not so much "should we do it?" but "how do we get there?" By which I mean, how reliable is the process, and what do we do with the rejects? If I
botch a batch of beer, it's about $30 worth of ingredients down the toilet. If someone botches a kid, it's going to be serious, unpredictable birth defects. (Fred Stone #1369)
Actually I don't have a problem with it. I just think it is another step in our developement, and I think it is fascinating. As for those critics who claim that it will be abuse, well everything has potential to be
abuse. Should we outlaw baseball because a bat can be used to kill someone?
(Chani #1118)
OTOH. Maybe we should have just stayed in our caves and killed the neanderthal that discovered fire? ;-) (PinkyMan #1365)
And yet; if not now, when? We've already produced, I'm sure, tiny critters that would wipe us out if they escaped the lab. And we can be sure that
the likes of Saddam Hussein are doing the same, probably without the stringent controls that the traditional powers have used. It seems inevitable that such a bug will be released some day. Having the
knowledge to do genetic manipulation might save our species.
We can't go back, and standing still isn't safe. Onward, then - but carefully. ((Bill Thacker #1363)
There is a risk that you might select people who study hard for tests as opposed to getting a life. One of the tests should involve a natural environment such as living in a primitive tribal environment for a while. I haven't solved all problems here, but I would like to see humans make progress and I don't think that we will progress under the current system
(Michael Alexander #18)
However what I do not want to see is babies being rejected because their genetic pattern does not suit somebodeys idea of perfection. I am strongly against genetic cloning of humans, though I would accept cloning of human organs and parts. I do not want to see people penalised for having a genetic defect. All of the above would seem to close to A Brave New World if allowed to go ahead.
Another hot topic is the use of genetically modified plants. If this
allows the farmer to use less pesticide then I am all for them. I beleive that if we keep using pesticide at the current rate of consumption then
we need not worry about wild plants becoming resistant, I doubt if we will be here. Just look at the falling sperm rate as an example of the damage that we are doing to ourselves.
I can see overall some very good things coming from it. I agree it needs certain restrictions, but we do not need to chain it down. I feel a lot
of the bad public reaction is caused by the media's typical Frankenstien response to the mere mention of genectics. (Alana Ferris -Xalan- #1211)
Today we can do more then just cross different organisms and select for favorably traits when they arise, we can actually read and manipulate
parts of the genome directly. It is faster, much more efficient then selecting generation after generation until we get the traits we want.
We can do some amazing stuff that could not be done only by selection.
In order for selection to work there has to be variation in a
population. By manipulating genes at certain loci we can create this variation and then select. We will soon be able to clone many more organisms then we have already done which opens a lot of possibilities
in the future.
The genetic code seems to be universal, experiments have showed that the gene that causes fire-flies to emit light can be implanted in tobacco plants, causing them to glow with a faint shimmer. All this helps us to a greater understanding of the world around us, makes it possible for us to actually engineer organisms for a purpose.
If this is good or bad? As with everything else it depends on what you
use it for.
You could use these techniques to build the most deadly virus in the world synthetically, or perhaps cure cancer and other disease. Bacteria can be manipulated to produce rare substances used in medication et cetera.
I am for all research. Hopefully we will have a debate over this as it
goes along, a debate where people gets a bit more enlightened then today, many seems to think that the world will come to and end if you clone a human. It won't.
Well, that's my little rant and thoughts on the subject. (Ichimusai #769)
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