[Individual #2032029018]

Being that I am in my senior year as a Biochemistry Major and fingd the subject of genetic engineering quite fascinating and am likly to work in some fashion or other in this field I thought I'd open this can of worms to the forum.

I personally find genetic engineering in it's many forms merely to be a tool for people to use. As with any tool it might be used poorly to the detriment of society or can be used constructively with reasonable cation to benefit the lives of many.

I find the incredible phobia a sad reflection of our societies general level of ignorance. An example would be the media uproar about some directly genetically altered corn that go into our food system. Many organizations campaign against genetic alteration in any form ...yet their members see no problem with thier dog Fido whos genes were altered through several generations by a slower technology of selective breeding...

What are some of the views that you have on this highly volitile subject?

[JustinGilmore]

An example would be the media uproar about some directly genetically altered corn that go into our food system. Many organizations campaign against genetic alteration in any form ...yet their members see no problem with thier dog Fido whos genes were altered through several generations by a slower technology of selective breeding...

We'll there has been recent studdies which show that some, not all, genetically engenered food plays a role in cancer within humans.

As far as engineering humans, it all depends on your ethics, morals, religion, etc. Sure, it can be played as a tool-though even if beneficiary for them; they still may disagree with it.

Personally, I belive that it's use could be a wonderful tool, and also could be brutally misused, it's a sensitive subject.

[Cragov the Dry]

I am another who can't believe the angst felt by the population for gm foods and crops! People cannot see that the production of food is becoming more of a wasted past time than a carreer, and that it needs to be kick started to prevent a glonbal collapes. A main reason being that no one feels that they should have to pay for food and they feel that it is there right tio have food! People are more than happy to spend loads on a fanct meal buut as soon as they have to make an effort they feel it's an infringment on their liberties! Yet they can't see that an effective way to solve this are gm foods!

[GandalfTheGrey]

Just to let you know, two one line posts were deleted. Please remember our policy regarding one liners

Thanks GTG

[enLight]

It's not so much genetic manipulation of vegetables that worries people that much, but rather the manipulation of humans. Such a move could develop into a revival of eugenics. That's no paranoid phobia either. It would start with something as innocent as genetic modification for disease prevention, then the method would explode in the cosmetic industry, eventually it would end up in body altering and possibly mind alter (to a limited degree).

Most people just think that's something humans should not mess with.

But back to the vegetables: If they are modified too much, they can upset the natural balance of the area. Take the example of GMing crops to repel insects. Good, they survive longer and are more bountiful, but now the insect population in the area dies off - which in turn starts a chain reaction, etc.

Any form of genetic manipulation takes a severe sense of responsibility - one that many people are skeptical humans possess right now, if ever.

[Enigmatic]

I don't object to genetic engineering in principle, but I believe our practical understanding of genetics is too limited for us to really understand the implications of the alterations we make.

[Vivisekt]

Most people just think that's something humans should not mess with.

Fear derived from ignorance... so fucking useless, yet so widespread in modern society. And people wonder why i'm a nihilist.

We must have change, one way or the fucking other. Stasis is death!


Genetic engineering is our future. It is the science of life, and we must embrace it and utilize it to it's fullest, as it is perhaps the most important science ever to be devised to this date. Through genetic engineering, humanity can take full control of his own biological evolutionary process. Under such comprehensive control of our physical self, we can catapult humanity into a new age of exploration, unity, and elevated life. As with the posession of all knowelage, danger is present here - but the bennefits that we stand to reap from such biotechnology are far too overwhelming to deny ourselves this progress.

[Individual #2032029018]

Pitfalls there are...Perhaps you make a crop that is too successful which escapes cultivation and displaces a wild species or several thereby upsetting a whole ecosystem...this has happened numerous times with introduced species and is ceratinly a concern of any genetic scientist. However all engineered plants are designed not to be capable of more than one generation of reproduction to aleviate this threat. one might argue that may not be foolproof I suppose. Yet these problems are in no way unique to genetic engineering and while damaging mistakes have been made in the past no scientist is now unaware of these and much more care is taken to avoid them in the future...however it seems certain that some mistakes will be made...my argument is that the benefits far outwiegh the inevitable costs.

With people it is a much more complex problem...one of which is access to the technology.. should it become sophisticated enough to have the level of control needed to enhance intelligence or physical abilities versus the treatment of health risks we might see major social issues between the haves and have nots on a scale never before heard of...at least one could imagine such scenarios...

I however am more optimistic and esp optimistic of peoples ability to adjust to change and confront whatever new problems might arise.

[Noumenon]

Genetic engineering is our future. It is the science of life, and we must embrace it and utilize it to it's fullest, as it is perhaps the most important science ever to be devised to this date. Through genetic engineering, humanity can take full control of his own biological evolutionary process. Under such comprehensive control of our physical self, we can catapult humanity into a new age of exploration, unity, and elevated life. As with the posession of all knowelage, danger is present here - but the bennefits that we stand to reap from such biotechnology are far too overwhelming to deny ourselves this progress.

I somewhat agree with you, but I'm still worried about a have and have-not scenerio, since genetically modifying your children will undoubtedly be expensive. But I think that eventually the cost would go down, giving more people the chance to become genetically superior. The benefits would definitely be great, but we need to be very careful. We could end up contaminating the gene pool with various mutations. In any case, I think it is inevitable that we begin to genetically engineer humans. First it will be modification to prevent disease, then before you know it there will be full custom-modification. History has shown that you can't stop the advance of science. I have faith that we can overcome the problems associated with human genetic engineering.

I think our species has been deteriorating genetically ever since "survival of the fittest" started to not apply to us. We need to take control of our genes to stop this deterioration.

[Vivisekt]

I think our species has been deteriorating genetically ever since "survival of the fittest" started to not apply to us. We need to take control of our genes to stop this deterioration.

Yes, i whole heartedly agree with this sentiment. I have a half written essay about it in the archive of procrastination. Alongside modern society comes potential genetic and social rammifications which we, in our individualist haze, have not bothered to address.

[SueDeNîmes.]

I agree too, but share DTguitarist's worry about creating a genetic elite. Access would initially be through parental wealth and thereafter become hereditary - almost a bifurcation of the species

Assuming human cloning becomes possible .. what's to stop some (presumably rich & ill) individual from having clones of him/herself produced as a source of transplant organs with no rejection problems ?

On a less Frankensteinian note, I think governments should legislate to ensure that genetic profiles of individuals are only available for medical purposes - i.e. not available to insurance companies and emplyers. Otherwise we also risk creating a genetic underclass.

[Boondock Saint]

I think our species has been deteriorating genetically ever since "survival of the fittest" started to not apply to us. We need to take control of our genes to stop this deterioration.

I agree completly and this is why I have chosen not to add to the gene pool as honestly I have nothing that could benefit mankind.

We are a weak species now, depending far too much on science to keep us well ... our bodies have become weak and our blood lines tainted with impurities (no, I am not speaking of one race or another, in fact I beleive the uber race would be a mix of all races combined).

Now, about genetic crops ... I would have no issue with this were it not for the fact that it is not necessary. We HAVE the needed amount of land and we WOULD have the needed amount of food were we utilizing said land but we do not. The US gov't pays farmers NOT to farm, I would imagine there is something like this in Europe too. This is to keep the market competitive ... we COULD feed ALL of humanity were our resources more evenly distrubuted ... and NO that would not mean that the fat over fed fatty Mcfats would go hungry (though I reckon a few days without food would be good for them) ...

So the whole 'we dont have enough food' thing is a scare tactic to jusify geneticly altered foods ... I garauntee that these altered foods will just replace the produce that is now in place and wont do a damn bit of good for the starving people ...

If we wanted to end world hunger we could engineer rice patties in Africa and grow brown rice. Nutritious, easy to harvest and plentiful. But thats not what the governments want ...

As for genetically engineered humans, yes. A wonderful thing that, we might even be able to decrease the amount of resources our body requires or perhaps engineer casts of humans akin to ant colonies. The soldiers, the workers etc ... A wonderful thing indeed.

[Roblobob]

I think that all genetic engineering is wrong. Countries such as the US only want GM foods to boost they're economy. Messing with nature is the worst thing we can do even if we can save lives in the short term. Nature has been fine tuning DNA for millions of years and we are storming in with very little knowledge and making massive alterations. I think we have done enough damage to this beautiful planet already. Boondock Saint is right, if we wanted to increase food productivity to feed the Third World we could do it easily with the land and resources we have. It's all about money.


For Peace & Socialism,

Robin

[Autophage]

I'm all for genetic manipulation, and not just on crops. I don't think an elite class of humans should be created, but if everybody were able to better their children, most would take the chance. As for those too poor to be able to afford the necessary manipulations, within a few generations the changes would be spread anyway.

[Atromos]

This topic reminds me of the movie GATTACA in which newborns are genetically scanned to see what social economic class they fall into. Personally I am not against (almost) any aspect of genetic engineering, at least not in THIS day and age because in my generation I'm relatively sure we won't get to the level that impedes our progress as a nation by genetic discrimination. There could be governmental control and if government run experiments were run, even more control would be given to the will of the people. Think of things such as skin cancer almost never being an issue, you could live until your heart stopped beating and look 30 years old, people's muscles would never deteriorate, your mind wouldn't get soggy after 45, and your eyesight could be like a hawk's. Point in case, the initial stages of genetic research should be worked upon, but I believe that in the end, yes it could be a VERY volatile tool, as maybe even new species of war would be created and there could be a revolution as a competition over human and hybrid.

It's all terrifyingly(sp?) real and could happen as im sure you can all guess, but is there something wrong against fixing heart disease and supplying more jobs for scientists? If you believe in not changing humanity, then that's fine. But the question is:

Is what we're searching for so bad, or is it merely our own religion?

[Comrade Ogilvy]

I don't care about religion, I just don't trust humans to use it responsibly.

If you don't trust a man with a government, why are you trusting him with the genetic structure of your children?

[U-235]

Fear derived from ignorance...

...as seven of nine would say, or the other way around

It is foolish to discard a tool which could help feed all of humanity with versatile crops that could grow in drought conditions.
And it is foolish to discard a tool which could be used to embetter humanity.

All due to fear.

It is also so self-centered to withhold a technology that could feed an entire continent just due to your moral beliefs.

[Atromos]

It is also so self-centered to withhold a technology that could feed an entire continent just due to your moral beliefs.

Imagine cross-breading a corn-stalk with a sequoia. You'd have corn out the wazoo. Also begin to imagine crops that dont need good soil to grow, and imagine people not having to buy insect killers to put on their crops.... that's jsut the farming aspect of it. Then you can engineer 10 foot tall cows that carry 20 gallons of milk. Imagine chickens as big as lions. But then imagine dogs of war twice the size of tigers and trained just as easily. Imagine super intellgient sub-species enslaved.

I can't fully agree on both sides because i could jsut imagine 20 years from now when all fluggin' hell breaks loose and just thinking...

"What in the good grace of FUCK were we thinking?"

[antigoat]

Many people are crapping their pants just hearing the words genetic engineering and have no clue what in the hell they are talking about. Most of it is just hysteria; like said earlier the fear of what you don't understand.

Genetic engineering has its uses, and can be used responsibly and irresponsibly. Engineering crops to be able to take greater loads of herbicides the same company makes--BAD.

And although I give GE the tentative go-ahead-but-be-REALLY-careful, at least research the go ahead of course, I am 100% in agreement that all foods containing GM ingrediants should be labeled. We don't know for sure whether it is safe or unsafe, but I believe people should always be given the choice and have the right to know, especially when there is the demand for it that obviously exists. People should be able to know where their food is produced, if it is GM or not, organic, etc. Information should always be available--I think refusing to label stuff looks way more suspicous than lableling it. It doesn't need to cover the front of the box- just list it in the ingredients.

And remember, genetic engineering isn't limited to roundup-ready corn and super Aryans- you could make fiber plants more productive( and hey, no one has to eat it!).

[glinert]

Every time new invention comes out, people say, we tinkering with devil. This may be human nature, but now we really tinkering with god and creation, it may be area we should not stick our foot in.

First of all, unlike all other previous inventions, this invention will change no how we use our world, but world in general. It can be exploited, and once we get sutcked into it, we will nver get out. Genetics keep earth in flux, I sad about people who die from geenetic diseases, but those people die because genes need to create dynamism and change.

We must have change, one way or the fucking other. Stasis is death!

Exactly this good point to say we shouldn't cure diseases with genetic engineering. We need to create dynamism in genes and get rid of people who ahve diseases and diversify. This only way our race will survive.

Human s by nature will try for gene ideal, we will reach stasis with genetic engineering, and will have less diverse gene pool, necesary for survival.