Genetically Engineered Being

[All Seeing Eye]

Genetics has come a long way and its now possible to alter the DNA of animals and humans and even make animal/human hybrids, could it be possible one day that someone might create a being out of the DNA of humans and multiple different animals?
Lets say for example scientists somewhere decide to take a human embryo and alter its DNA so it has animal DNA such as the eyes of a Lion, the muscles of a Cheetah, the hearing ability of a bat or bird, the smelling ability of a dog, would this new species be human and would it have human rights?

What if a day comes (maybe several hundred years from now) where you can go to a special hospital and place an order for a child of your liking and you can choose different aspects like giving them the eyesight of a lion, would you yourself do that? would you want you child genetically modified to be a super being? could humans as we are now seize to exist and millions of new species exist as a mixture of man and animal?

Any thoughts?

 

[TerriO]

Ah, genetics and ethics. Touchy ground.

Personally, I'd only like to see genetic engineering like this used to remove hereditary illnesses/diseases that the parents could pass to their children. Improve a child's quality of life from the beginning. Anything beyond that strikes me as the genetic equivalent of plastic surgery for vanity's sake. Yeah, there are people who'll do it, but we have to ask ourselves if we're those people.

As for whether such an enhanced creature would still be considered human? That's an interesting question. Would they be human, or, to use a shorthand, human 2.0? Humanity will evolve to a higher level eventually, but will we bring that evolution about ourselves? Interesting thought.

 

[Venardhi]

TerriO said:
Humanity will evolve to a higher level eventually, but will we bring that evolution about ourselves? Interesting thought.

At this point it is really the only way we will evolve. We no longer have an environment to adapt to. No predators to escape from and no prey to hunt for. We may change a little, but particularly as far as intelligence goes we are rather unlikely to have much change in our brain's capacity.

I see human genome alteration and hybridization as a 'natural' step for us. Better senses, better metabolism, more efficient digestive system, stronger bones, more protection for vital organs, etc. etc. That is of course apart from the purely vanity-based changes offered. No more receding hairlines, no more back hair, more symmetrical features(more attractive), bodies resistant to building fat, and better designed for building and retaining muscle mass, attractive skin tones, eyes colors, hair colors, pointy elfin ears, etc. etc. etc. Whatever the mind can come up with.

Obviously it will take some time for such technology to advance far enough for us to make these decisions for ourselves actively throughout our lives, but the next generation could be more easily altered for these features. Obviously it'll only be available to the richest to begin with, but It won't stay that way any more than going to a hospital for prenatal care and to give birth remained only for the wealthy.

I have no doubt it will be an uphill battle to get such procedures okayed when they're developed, but once proven to be safe and worthwhile I suspect if humans ever do make it out into the universe we will be much less human than most would expect.

 

[Meredith]

Genetic Engineering could help solve a lot of Human spaceflight issues. Even if we only stay inside our solar system.


1. Longer life, more missions per lifetime.

2. Radiation Resistance, better protection against cosmic radiation, Error correcting DNA code to prevent hazardous mutations.

3. Weightless Resistance, no need for a 1G centrifuge when the body can be programmed to maintain it's tone and health at lower gravity levels.

4. Alien Environment Adaptibility, Engineer humans who can survive in far lower air pressures, this can help increase survivability in space accidents and also help with colonizing places like Mars.

And other stuff I can't think of right now.

 

[Defiant]

There are also some serious problems beyond the ethical with genetic engineering, in that nature sometimes selects things - with good reason - that we wouldn't have. Some 20,000 years ago, a plague swept through Europe - and killed a HUGE portion of the population. Those who did not become infected turned out to have a damaged receptor on their T-cells due to a genetic mutation. (Interestingly, that receptor is the same one the HIV virus tends to bind to, meaning that some descendants of those early Europeans are immune to HIV secondary infection).

Now, enter genetic science, and we start fixing all those defective genes - and wipe ourselves out when the next plague comes along.

Something similar is suspected by some to have caused the prevalence of sickle-cell anemia in those of African descent. In other words, sickle-cell might be bad, but whatever killed off all those who didn't have it was a hell of a lot worse.

Sometimes, things that seem like positive changes can have disastrous outcomes. The way DNA codes the production of proteins in cells is so complex, that I don't believe it's a deterministic system, when examined on the scale of an entire species.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

If genetic engineering becomes commonplace, the world will become like Gattaca - those with "enhancements" will lord it over those who don't. I couldn't handle a world like that.

 

[zephramc]

Defiant said:
There are also some serious problems beyond the ethical with genetic engineering, in that nature sometimes selects things - with good reason - that we wouldn't have. Some 20,000 years ago, a plague swept through Europe - and killed a HUGE portion of the population. Those who did not become infected turned out to have a damaged receptor on their T-cells due to a genetic mutation. (Interestingly, that receptor is the same one the HIV virus tends to bind to, meaning that some descendants of those early Europeans are immune to HIV secondary infection).

Now, enter genetic science, and we start fixing all those defective genes - and wipe ourselves out when the next plague comes along.

My coworker and I were discussing this very subject the other day. My argument against genetic manipulation is exactly what you stated. Homo sapien has some 4 million years of evolution since the first hominid, and tens of millions since the first mammal. Who are we to mess with evolution or God's wisdom. We may modify ourselves out of existance.

Something similar is suspected by some to have caused the prevalence of sickle-cell anemia in those of African descent. In other words, sickle-cell might be bad, but whatever killed off all those who didn't have it was a hell of a lot worse.

I remember reading about malaria being the prime suspect for the sickle cell mutation. I don't follow biology/anthropology very closely though, so I'm sure there've been more recent theories.

Sometimes, things that seem like positive changes can have disastrous outcomes. The way DNA codes the production of proteins in cells is so complex, that I don't believe it's a deterministic system, when examined on the scale of an entire species.

Well said.

 

[Meredith]

zephramc said:

Defiant said:
There are also some serious problems beyond the ethical with genetic engineering, in that nature sometimes selects things - with good reason - that we wouldn't have. Some 20,000 years ago, a plague swept through Europe - and killed a HUGE portion of the population. Those who did not become infected turned out to have a damaged receptor on their T-cells due to a genetic mutation. (Interestingly, that receptor is the same one the HIV virus tends to bind to, meaning that some descendants of those early Europeans are immune to HIV secondary infection).

Now, enter genetic science, and we start fixing all those defective genes - and wipe ourselves out when the next plague comes along.

My coworker and I were discussing this very subject the other day. My argument against genetic manipulation is exactly what you stated. Homo sapien has some 4 million years of evolution since the first hominid, and tens of millions since the first mammal. Who are we to mess with evolution or God's wisdom. We may modify ourselves out of existance.

We won't modify ourselves out of existance as long as we keep a population of Amish and other type of "Backwards" people around so that they remain pure human and are around to take over should we screw up.

 

[FordSVT]

As long as technology continues to trend they way it is, biological and technological modification of human beings is inevitable. It's already happening. Nano technology will only hasten and help to perfect genetic modification and put it into the hands of the mainstream.

 

[anti-matter]

Yeah I can see that day coming...the more tptb learn what gene sequences do the more they will 'tweak'. It's just human nature ...look how we tweaked animal and plant breeds.

Already there are laws about marrying 1st cousins because the genes being mostly the same don't blend well and can cause defects... so some scientists will argue that this new tech is just more insurance of improving the breed by ruling out defects.

 

[Venardhi]

Thus leading to the tragic cousin-sex thread tsunami of 2048.

 

[Tyson]

When the technology becomes available, the rich will no doubt abuse it and doom us all.

 

[estrea]

Meredith said:


We won't modify ourselves out of existance as long as we keep a population of Amish and other type of "Backwards" people around so that they remain pure human and are around to take over should we screw up.

Unfortunately, the Amish (not sure about the Mennonites) have so inter-married that their geneological records look like crocheted doilies. Their rate of birth defects is going up at an alarming rate. Even when they send their sons and daughters away to communities in other states to find mates, the gene pool is so tight, it's not always a guarantee there won't be a disability in the next generation.

That being said, I would like for genetics to be able to locate defective code for truly inheritable diseases like Tay-Sachs, cystic fibrosis, and many others. "Fixing" or as Trekverse calls it "re-sequencing" is another matter altogether. <shrug>