If genetically engineered humans were legalized, would you?

Maybe give myself red hair if I could change something on me. But honestly, yeah, I might guarantee intelligence and a predisposition to a healthy weight. The way I see it, it’s just active, conscious evolution. As for gender, no, I don’t care. :)

I wouldn’t do it. I just think that no matter how foolproof science may seem, we can’t go messing with our genetics and not expect something to go wrong. Also, one of the coolest things about having kids is seeing what they inherit from each parent and how unique they are as the individuals they were naturally created to be.

@SuperMouse: I was assuming for the purposes of this question it is just as safe as having a ‘normal’ baby. As for their personalities, I don’t put very much thought into that, the more I study sociology/anthropology the more convinced I become that it isn’t really what we are but who we’re with that shapes us.

I sure wouldn’t engineer a child, then have to put it through college? I’d genetically engineer a sex partner!

anyone hear a gundam seed situation coming about? or is that just me?

I have alot of those gun damn seeds.

I’d make sure whatever baby I had would grow up to be at least the average height for their gender. To be too short is not well suited for this world. Other than that, I’d leave it be.

@asmonet, assuming that I knew it was completely safe, I would seriously consider it if I could engineer out the possibility of some fatal or deforming disease that might be passed on genetically.

What the hell is a gundam seed situation?

@Fallenangel as asmonet said in another thread “nerd lurve” :P

@aprilsimnel I would certainly agree with the height (I was always the short kid :( and there are some more physical characteristics that I wouldnt want my child to have to tolerate, such as bad skin, eyes, teeth…

@SuperMouse: That depends on the science, which hasn’t really been explored in the question, in terms of basic changes. What’s the harm (if it’s ‘safe’)? I wouldn’t expect it to cure Huntington’s or anything.

double nerd lurve

man, i swear im in the wrong place, thats the first ref, that anyones as picked up, and the only time anyone has seemed to even remotely agree with me

@asmonet, it is hard to see where the harm is, but the idea sounds freaky to me. It just seems so Twilight Zone-like.

If I had any idea how Gundam Seed fit into this, I would have said it just seems so Gundam Seedy. But since I don’t (even after a google search), I’ll refrain.

Only if I could genetically engineer them to be teenagers that wouldn’t put me in an early grave.

for those of you confused about the gundam reference, here.

~ship sinking faster~

My only concern about genetically engineering a child would be its height. I’m not concerned about weight, personality, nor intelligence.

@SuperMouse: Yeah, I understand the trepidation, but if you think about, pretty much everything we do now was the science fiction of the past. The human race always adapts. It’s just another new technology thrown on the pile. :)

how was that going of topic, it fits perfectly.

Not my fault we dont know the same stuff

but if youre gonna b- about it, yeah, i would. Id make him perfect, and raise him to be so.

@Fallenangel who said anything about you going off topic?

either i read the wrong thread there or psyla edited their response

I think genetical engineered babies are a terrible idea.

Part of being human is living through the trials of the world. For example, being picked on in school makes you learn to be stronger and treat people nicely. I’m not going to try to argue that every physical/genetic problem works out for the good, but I am going to say that those flaws are what make us human. I’m not ready for a superhuman race. If 20 people are allowed to custom design their kids, then there will be 20 people who are genetically better than everyone else. They would take over and there’s absoluetly no way to prevent that. Even if every parent everywhere custom designed their kids, the parents would still be inferior normal humans.

I think supermouse’s original post does bring up the right point. Playing with our genes too much is going to have some negative repricussions. EVERYTHING has some negative repricussion, so don’t try to reassure me that it would be “perfectly safe.”

Even in theory, genetically engineered humans is a horrible idea.

I’m going to stick with genetically engineering my future babies by looking for things I like in a mate. I’d prefer that my species naturally evolve instead of us forcing it to happen.

I would definitely engineer out genetic diseases, if I could. That’s it.

@Perchik: Unfortunately, that’s not really an option. Thanks to medicine, you’re not getting the most hardy and able genetic pool because while she appears to be a perfect mate, she might have been destined to die off as a weak link in another time. We got too smart to keep our gene pool strong. You’re just not getting the best anymore. In my opinion, we’re now stagnant as a species.

That’s not to say I want to start sterilizing people or anything.

Why would we expect that genetic engineering would be any more difficult that genetic engineering that doesn’t involve conscious gene splicing? We already genetically engineer. We’ve been doing it with ourselves for probably hundreds of thousands of years. When you choose a mate because they are beautiful or strong, or whatever, you are genetically engineering.

What’s the difference when you know gene sequences, and can do your engineering a little bit more specifically? We’re not changing anything we’ve been doing at any fundamental level; we’re merely changing the precision with which we can do it.

So, since we already have plenty of genetic mutations that make it difficult for children to grow up or participate in society, and we already do our best for these children, I don’t see why it would be any different with a precisely engineered child? If they have a mutation, we’ll still love them. Or we shouldn’t be parents in the first place.

However, with more precise engineering, we will probably have fewer dangerous mutations than if we didn’t use these tools to engineer our kids. Now disabilities rights groups might complain about that, as they complain about separating out in vitro kids that have something ‘bad’ in their genes. Those embyros may not even get made, if we have good engineering.

Anyway, if it isn’t clear that I’d use genetic engineering by now, let me say that I wouldn’t have kids if it didn’t exist. The sperm and eggs for my kids were mixed deliberately by a lab technician. Not that they knew what they were putting together, but still, it required human intervetion. I have to say, they did a hell of a good job, too!

@daloon: Exactly, GA.

Aside from removing any lethal genetic presdispositions, I would modify anything that would save money down the road – good vision, good teeth, healthy weight, straight spine, good skin, and minimal depression, if that were possible. Not only do I see this a frugal and enabling my child to have the best start possible, but also helping along the survival of my “good” genes. :) If I could choose to strain out the bad and just pass along the good, you bet your sweet cheeks I would.

I would, except my genes are flawless already.

I would have your baby, Nik

Can I get in on this?

Aren’t you already having blue sparkle babies with Tits?!?

Look, I can’t keep track off all my commitments. It’s just not humanly possible. Let’s just say I am an equal opportunity baby making attempt machine.

Besides, that just means these magic blue sparkle babies will now be flawless and screaming in front of yellow backgrounds. What’s the harm?

Perhaps having every human live a lot longer because they’ve been engineered to be perfect is not a good idea? Despite modern technology and food resources, our environment still dictates our population size. We need to follow the rules of the world.

It would be a great change. possibly after ive seen what happens to others i probly would do it. Really though how great do you think it would be. choose what you want or even just for that great change in life?!?!??! I would love it!!! KICK A$$

If genetically engineered humans were legalized, would you?

Yes, I would legalized it with certain guidelines and regulation.

(Some genetic engineered human parts are already been created like growing human ears on mice.(sorry I know you said no comments))

Assuming the technology existed, you agree with it, and it was legal, and affordable…
Would you “custom design” your child?

Yes

Remembering these are genetic changes and anything is possible, (no superpowers). What changes would you make?

eliminate diseases that are in my partner’s and my family genetic dna.

Would you specify male or female, or be surprised?

surprised

I’d custom design myself if possible.