(Replying to PARENT post)

I see a lot of comments underscoring the possible eugenics implication of this, but I am curious as to why everyone always paints it as a negative? Even in our very diversity-conscious institutions we can generally agree that some things are plain bad. You don't want a blind or deaf child. You don't want one with down syndrome or deformities that would just make their life difficult.

I wonder if the high level of opposition to this does not come from us being naturally scared of becoming irrelevant. A society capable of producing disease-less 120 IQ adults would progress faster.

Yes there are a ton of ethical concerns about building a society where hierarchical boundaries find their justification in science, but I see these arguments as myopic. Inequalities have always existed, the only difference is that now nobody would have genetic diseases.

👤belval🕑3y🔼0🗨️0

(Replying to PARENT post)

Because we have no idea how any of this works, selecting against one gene may have negative externalities that we don't even know how to measure. For example: a genetic cure for schizophrenia also dulling the creative traits it's correlated with. We cant even really understand how an emergent property like language works (see: every conlang), and you think we can engineer a civilization to be better by radically altering the balance of potential equality that we have been genetically optimized for?

A society of 120 IQ adults would probably be an insufferable hell beyond comprehension, considering the track record of intellectual movements and the proclivity of smart individuals, probably like yourself, to vastly overestimate the merits of rationality and concepts that can be limited to the mind of one human.

👤workaccount21🕑3y🔼0🗨️0

(Replying to PARENT post)

Some people do choose to have deaf children: https://jme.bmj.com/content/28/5/283

There was quite a bit of outrage around that case from hearing people, but it seems no different than two parents with genetic deafness choosing each other and then not trying to use genetic testing/embryo selection to have a hearing baby.

I do think when this type of genetic manipulation becomes possible/mainstream there will be many traits chosen by parents that aren't considered universally desirable.

👤vsef🕑3y🔼0🗨️0

(Replying to PARENT post)

Blind or deaf people would probably feel pretty bad hearing "you don't want a blind or deaf kid".
👤Scarblac🕑3y🔼0🗨️0

(Replying to PARENT post)

> I am curious as to why everyone always paints it as a negative

Fear of the unknown and distrust of everyone else. This might give someone an advantage, so it must be bad for me. I view it kind of like metaphorical crabs trying to climb out of a bucket.

👤krageon🕑3y🔼0🗨️0

(Replying to PARENT post)

>now nobody would have genetic diseases.

Nobody with parents who can afford IVF would have genetic diseases. Nobody would rise from an ignoble birth to greatness ever again... or at least not in countries without universal healthcare.

👤whatshisface🕑3y🔼0🗨️0