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Chinese scientists allegedly create first gene edited babies

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ant

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Chinese scientists allegedly create first gene edited babies

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https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.thegua ... -scientist

The latest now is that there is some heavy doubts this has actually been done.

I recently had a discussion with a friend of mine who, because of his religious convictions, could not decide if he supported gene editing.

Regardless of the validity of the Chinese claim, I think gene editing is unavoidable and will one day be a common thing.

If China has no ethical issues with it ( and they wont) they could begin to "manufacture" a population superior (desease immunity, etc) to other nations who tie their own hands with endless ethical and moral debates.

I support it.
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Re: Chinese scientists allegedly create first gene edited babies

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I agree "gene editing is unavoidable and will one day be a common thing." Eventually this will move from disease prevention and cures to increasing athletic ability and intelligence. Combining that with mechanical augmentation, computer cyborg implants, and Lawd only knows what sort of weaponry, man will create "super-soldiers and police." You might as well support it because this cannot be stopped. Knocking on the doors of your great-grandchildren, savaging enemies real and imagined around the globe...
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Re: Chinese scientists allegedly create first gene edited babies

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LanDroid wrote:I agree "gene editing is unavoidable and will one day be a common thing." Eventually this will move from disease prevention and cures to increasing athletic ability and intelligence. Combining that with mechanical augmentation, computer cyborg implants, and Lawd only knows what sort of weaponry, man will create "super-soldiers and police." You might as well support it because this cannot be stopped. Knocking on the doors of your great-grandchildren, savaging enemies real and imagined around the globe...

Agreed. Unfortunately increased athletic ability and intelligence are not the human race's priority needs. Not sure if I'd call it altruism, but what we need is to care about the environment we're leaving our children and grandchildren. Is there a gene for that?
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Re: Chinese scientists allegedly create first gene edited babies

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And am I the only one who considers it ironic that we can agree something is dangerous and probably bad, but have no hope for stopping it? Because evidently we are helpless. What kind of world have we made, in which we are helpless? Why did we do that, and why do we accept that?
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Re: Chinese scientists allegedly create first gene edited babies

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U.S. National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins called He’s experiment “a misadventure of a major sort” — starring “a scientist who apparently believed that he was a hero. In fact, he crossed every line, scientifically and ethically.”

But nobody stopped him. How can that be?

To be fair, scientists say there’s no certain way to stop someone intent on monkeying with DNA, no matter what laws or standards are in place. CRISPR is cheap and easy to use — which is why scientists began to worry almost as soon as the technology was invented that something like this would happen. And there is a long history in science and medicine of researchers launching experiments prematurely that were met with scorn or horror — some of which led to what are now common practices, such as in-vitro fertilization.

https://www.apnews.com/8d79b8da09624aabbec28d1227650a66
Stopping this would have to be a global effort - very difficult. Also, once this progresses closer to designing super-soldiers, powerful governments will compete in this research in total secrecy, no one will know about it 'til it's too late...
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Re: Chinese scientists allegedly create first gene edited babies

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I find it intriguing that we're all in agreement that gene editing is inevitable and it will bring both good and bad with it. Great topic ant.

I wish we could flash forward a few hundred years to see the impact.
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Re: Chinese scientists allegedly create first gene edited babies

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.
.
All breeds of dogs are descended from wolves. Does a toy poodle suggest a wolf to you? We've been engaged in gene editing since we began breeding animals. Dairy cows produce much more milk than necessary to feed their young. We did that. We've gene edited every domesticated species I can think of. If you think we've never applied these principles to humans look into Eugenics. Specifically, the Eugenics movement in America during the early 20th century.

PBS
https://www.pbs.org/video/the-eugenics-crusade-jtaetc/

The Eugenics Crusade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JcYEXeK0g8

Watch the first 5 minutes of The Eugenics Crusade and be afraid. Be very afraid.
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