Genetic Modifications Inc

[Oddity]

At some time in the future companies are offering, for an affordable price, to modify your genome according to your wishes.
They can:
* Remove genetic defects and diseases.
* Perform cosmetic modifications (hair color, skin color, eye color, build etc).
* Adding desirable traits (increasing endurance and such).
And much more.

But there is a price:
Placing new genes on existing chromosomes may cause undesirable changes to the rest of the system. Therefore an entirely new chromosome will be added with the new genes. Unfortunately, this makes it impossible for you to have children with a non-modified human except under laboratory conditions. It will literary make you into a different species than Homo Sapiens.

Would you still take up the offer?

[Tsyroc]

Presuming the only draw back is the fertility one it's not much of a drawback. Having to make the conscious choice about having a kid and then arranging an appointment to go see a physcian about it mght be a good thing.

No children because of beer goggles any more.

There's also the choice of freezing some of the boys before getting the genetic mod. You're still going to involve a doctor at some point if you decide to have children which I said before might not be a bad idea.

[Alyrium Denryle]

YAY. I get to be attractive! and smarter(I am already intelligent, but assuming it is genetic, a higher IQ score cant hurt)

[kojikun]

Homo Invictus eh? I'm go. Tho you can't genetically engineer a fully grown human so its a moot point.

[neoolong]

Yeah. You get to be better, and when you want kids you can get them in a lab. No more "accidents."

[Zathras]

No genetic diseases, plus no "accidents" is a good thing. I don't know about the "novelty" modifications, however.

[PeZook]

Well, duh. I'd make myself attractive, smart, naturally athletic, disease resistant, get faster reflexes...

Who cares if I won't have children out of laboratory conditions? No more condoms or "accidental" pregnancies!

Long live genetic science

[haas mark]

You people need to learn what a "no opinion" option is... I personally could do a lot with it, and have no reason to be fertile, so there are many benefits... but with every benefit comes a downside.. As it is, I am fairly SICK of being called hot... it would not make matters better, even though I would want the better looks to feel better about myself.. egh.. need sleep at some point...

[Queeb Salaron]

The situation you present has no downside. It's birth control, selective breeding, and individuality all rolled up into one. Add into that the security that comes with the knowledge that you're disease-free and cosmetically appealing, and the question becomes, who WOULDN'T want to do this?

[UltraViolence83]

Bah. I don't want to see humans dependant on labratories for reproduction. But that's me; I'm a naturalist. Fine by me if it's only the new human species, but I'd never let a doctor fuck around with the embryo of my would-be child (I might add I have no genetic diseases to worry about anyway, so it'd be pointless for me to do so). "Fire-in-the-hole method" for me!

I'm a complete and utter accident and I'm GLAD. No one puts obsenely high hopes into my future (i.e. "He'll be a lawyer or doctor!") so I can do whatever the hell I want without dissappointing my parents. I can't see any problems with changing your genome to change hair/eyes/whatever, as long as it's solely your own decision and you are of a consenting age to do so.

*Slightly Edited*

[Peregrin Toker]

Unfortunately, this makes it impossible for you to have children with a non-modified human except under laboratory conditions. It will literary make you into a different species than Homo Sapiens.

But can't you still reproduce by cloning??

[UltraViolence83]

Yeah, if you want to be a fucking Raelian.

Cloning would dilute the gene pool after awhile...Creatures with too similiar a DNA makeup become extinct. You know those stories about the Grey aliens...Or perhaps they're us in the future...warning us...Back to reality, now. your best bet would be to combine DNA from two different partners...Much less problematic...Since this new type of man cannot reproduce via normal biological means, they would have to combine both their DNA ala in vitro fertilization.

Goddamn Raelians. I hate them.

[Mark S]

Meh, I'm fine with myself the way I am. I'm healthy and stable as far as I know. I think it would be great if people could get rid of genetic diseases and what not but changing yourself to look more attractive just means you're going to have to shell out to change again when fashion changes. I wouldn't like having to go to the doctor to have kids either. That's just one step away from having the government say that I'm not allowed to have them.

[Lord Pounder]

I've had plastic surgery in the past so i'd be a hippocrite to say no, but fuck it i'm saying no. When dealing with genetics in this way there is too many unknowns and as such i wouldn't trust this procedure.

[Stormbringer]

Assuming the situation is really as advertised, as long as I could have kids that aren't clones, then yes. Of course I would. There's no downside to it as far as I can see.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Psh. I already am gorgeous, brilliant, and disease-free, fool!

[LadyTevar]

Yes... I would do it. There's too many medical problems in my genetics not to.

[Oddity]

Homo Invictus eh? I'm go. Tho you can't genetically engineer a fully grown human so its a moot point.

Actually, a really, really advanced gene technology can in theory modify a fully grown human.
Phenotypal Augmentation: Alters your characteristics, but not that of your offspring.
Genotypal Augmentation: Do not alter your characteristics, only that of your offspring

The situation you present has no downside. It's birth control, selective breeding, and individuality all rolled up into one. Add into that the security that comes with the knowledge that you're disease-free and cosmetically appealing, and the question becomes, who WOULDN'T want to do this?

I thought some people would be reluctant to do this if it made them into a different species. I can quite easily picture fundies carrying torches and yelling, "You are not human! Die, children of Satan!"

[Joe]

The only downside is that the services will initially be quite expensive, possibly leading to an underclass. However, assuming the government doesn't get in the way of the development of the science (which it will), eventually it will be affordable to everyone who wants a child.

[Shortie]

Homo Invictus eh? I'm go. Tho you can't genetically engineer a fully grown human so its a moot point.

Actually, a really, really advanced gene technology can in theory modify a fully grown human.
Phenotypal Augmentation: Alters your characteristics, but not that of your offspring.
Genotypal Augmentation: Do not alter your characteristics, only that of your offspring

Doesn't have to be that advanced. The problem is keeping it phenotypic only. I remember reading a few years back about a guy with I think cystic fibrosis who had gene therapy in an attempt to at least get a partial cure. (It failed unfortunately.) IIRC it was done by a adding a good copy of the gene in question to a modified flu retrovirus.

As to the OP, if there was some kind of central coordination it might be workable, after all lab intervention wouldn't be necessary for most once you've got a critical mass (surrogacy etc). But without that the idea of a thousand different species of humanity, none interfertile, does seem kinda worrying. Never mind unforeseen problems with popular gene sequences, and increasing the human tendency towards us and them thinking.

[EmperorChrostas the Cruel]

One point.

The law of unintended consequences.

We do not understand more than a tiny fraction of the code. Changing the size of your nose, can change your alergic reaction. Changing your hight could lead to predisposition to cancer.

Do you want to hack the registry, to an OS, that you don't understand, with your children's lives/health at stake, and forfeit if you guess wrong?
Do we realy want a "Gattica" style society?Assuming we can get it right, and not condemn the "lucky few" to extinction, madness,or bad health?

One of the FEW ideas that UFP has, that are worth a shit, is the "NO genetic modifications," ONLY fixes of known defects.NO upgrades.

This makes sence. At some point, the "genies," will want to take over, from the "Dummies," AKA the normals. Only changing human nature, would solve this, creating it's own NEW set of buggaboos. Super soldiers,wouldn't LIKE the idea of taking orders from normals. There is also the attitude of entittlement, which the genies expect better treatment, more policical power, ect.., because they are obviously "better."

Then there is the issue of "modifying " people, for task specific jobs. Six fingered pianists, super soldiers, sex slaves, who won't say no to ANYTHING, and worker drones, who never strike.
What if you don't LIKE the career you were "built" for? Could you do anything else? What if your "chosen" career becomes obsolete?

Prejudice being what it is, do we realy want to introduce a genuinely new race, on Earth?(as opposed to the artificial "races" of black/white)

Watch the movie Gattica, think it through. Everyone who is presently alive now would be members of the new permanent underclass, along VERY racist lines.

The scariest part, is the ability to lose our humanity, one gene at a time, and lose the ability to even conceive of your loss.
Who needs free will, I'm gueranteed not to miss it or my families money is retured.

Edit. I see this ending brave new world style, with the ruling class literaly owning the hive that was once Earth.

[UltraViolence83]

I agree with the Emperor here. BNW and Gattaca are not exactly very happy stories...they were written as a word of warning. Though I would argue that just because you can adjust the genes of either yourself or your descendants, it doesn't intrinsically(sp?) make you/your offspring better than the "normals" objectively. All it would do is give the 'genies' subjective feelings of higher worth, like the prince comparing himself to the pauper.

One thought I dread is that something like this may be required by law for couples who want to have a child. Kind of like "child neglect" to reproduce by natural means instead of trusting good ol' Johnny Q. Government. Or Baron von Megacorporationstein for that matter.

Hey, anyone else reminded of that Twilight Zone (may have been Outer Limits) episode where young women were made to choose a body to look like?

[Kuroneko]

One point. The law of unintended consequences. We do not understand more than a tiny fraction of the code. Changing the size of your nose, can change your alergic reaction. Changing your hight could lead to predisposition to cancer...

I agree with you. However, for the purposes of this thread, this is simply an interesting tangent. An important argument in general, and no doubt should be considered, but of little relevance here.

[Genetic enhancement ban] makes sence. At some point, the "genies," will want to take over, from the "Dummies," AKA the normals. Only changing human nature, would solve this, creating it's own NEW set of buggaboos.

Ah, the typical xenophobic argument. The most ironic thing about such attitudes is that, at the most, they're only self-fulfulling.

Super soldiers,wouldn't LIKE the idea of taking orders from normals. There is also the attitude of entittlement, which the genies expect better treatment, more policical power, ect.., because they are obviously "better."

The Army will make or break you regardless. Most likely both. Even if you can outpunch Mike Tyson, have your reflex time halved, and have just about perfect hand-to-eye coordination, you're still not going to be Rambo III. And so what if some new Einstein has some resentment because he thinks he should be respected by the laymen? There are already plenty of people like that among the more 'learned' community. This isn't Hollywood. There will be no world domination just because things like Int{-inf,+inf}[ exp(-x^2) dx ] = sqrt(pi) are as obvious to him as twice two makes four is to you.

Then there is the issue of "modifying " people, for task specific jobs. Six fingered pianists, super soldiers, sex slaves, who won't say no to ANYTHING, and worker drones, who never strike... What if you don't LIKE the career you were "built" for? Could you do anything else? What if your "chosen" career becomes obsolete?

Certainly, that must not happen. But attempting to tie this back into the rest of the argument, this is just a slippery slope. There is no reason why such 'engineering' would ever reach anything like Brave New World.

[weemadando]

Without a moments hesitation.

[Queeb Salaron]

The situation you present has no downside. It's birth control, selective breeding, and individuality all rolled up into one. Add into that the security that comes with the knowledge that you're disease-free and cosmetically appealing, and the question becomes, who WOULDN'T want to do this?

I thought some people would be reluctant to do this if it made them into a different species. I can quite easily picture fundies carrying torches and yelling, "You are not human! Die, children of Satan!"

No way, man. After all, all dogs go to heaven. The argument for our salvation would be this: Man was the one that ate from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, not us. Also, man was created in the image and likeness of God. God created man and it was good. Man mimics God and creates another species; is that not also good?