GM modified people, the elite of the future?

Hello,

This is an philosophical topic inquiring the possibilities and defects considering the GM people, for it seems quite likely that humankind is going to apply GM into the human beings as well. In fact, this has already been done by 'genetic therapy', healing some inherited diseases by replacing the infected gene heritance with the modified gene heritance.

No matter whether the human GM is going the be banned by laws in countries, there will not propably be a way to stop illegal gene businness, as much as there are means to stop illegal arms trade.

Considering that GM could improve qualities of an human being, and also considering that it requires some resources to accomplish, is there a real danger that there will be a new 'caste' system in future? Dividing the people to the GM modified enchanced people and to the natural human beings, that have not been improved, but who are limited to be settle with the capabilities that nature has blessed them with.

So what kind of thoughts above short priming and below videos may provoke in you? Following videos are excerpt from Michio Kaku's Visions of the Future and are chosen as a basis of depate as they raise important questions, not because of their scientific correctness. (Hopefully I'll get them all linked properly!)

Let it be summarized, that in the last part (7 of 7) there is a brief sum up for the questions that are to be discussed: Should we allow GM on people? If yes, to what extent? If not, why not? What are the potential risks? Is the society in danger to become more divided into haves and have-nots than it is already?

What do you think?

Part 1 of 7


Part 2 of 7


Part 3 of 7


Part 4 of 7


Part 5 of 7


Part 6 of 7


Part 7 of 7


These issues are all today for we have the technology and we have the urge, hence it would be important to discuss about it.

-v

reply to post by v01i0


Bring it on, it will be cool having a more superior species on the planet. Humans, we've had our chance, and we've f**ked it up. I just hope our 'replacements' are smarter than us, 'cos we're thick as pigsh*t.

Also remember that some things that are wrong with us on the surface, are there for the good.

Do not forget that.

I have often thought about this and the social implications this will have. Especially for the poor or even those just unable to afford a GM "upgrade".

reply to post by woodwardjnr


Yeah that is true for there is quite good possibility for rich being priviliged to the expensive improvements. As mr. Kaku said on the part 7 of preceding videos, it might lead to the new kind of 'genetic apartheid'.

-v

Originally posted by v01i0

These issues are all today for we have the technology and we have the urge, hence it would be important to discuss about it.

-v

Why make it so complex? All that is necessary is to eliminate the lower(IQ,talent,physical ability,looks,health) 95 percent of men from breeding. In a matter of ten generations or less you would have a population of geniuses in all abilities.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/adf3198d2a80.gif[/atsimg]

[edit on 29-11-2009 by RRokkyy]

There might indeed come a time where there are two classes of people: These modified and these unmodified, with unknown social implications, which will be guaranteed if the other group has been made smarter, stronger, taller, any obvious trait that sets them differently from the 'normals'.

Other problems might arise: Gene Companies might (read: will likely) demand royalties from the children of modified parents because after all they have had the proprietary gene from the company spliced into their natural genetic code.

As with GM seeds the companies might install a 'kill switch' to prevent the modified people or their children from reproducing, unless, of course, a hefty fee is provided, failing that, demands of tribute or the company will claim ownership of the child, free to do what they wish to the child.

Rumor has it that some alien races damaged their own genetic code through generations of genetic engineering and they are experimenting on humans to find a solution for their race, and depending on what you believe, since humans may have been engineered on already by higher intelligences, we already have certain genetic problems, as a result of the engineering done on us.

Our code has bugs, so to speak.

reply to post by RRokkyy
Wouldn't that make the gene pool rather shallow, and what's stopping the 5% of those on the elite ladder from sparing their lunatic, money and power-hungry seed and besides how much do we know about certain traits not being genetic, but environmental?

There won't be much sports competition if all the participants are genetically enhanced. It will be another world filled with Goliaths.

Also, once a person is genetically enhanced, it comes with a patent. This would bring on a whole new classification system. Some models will only need to be enhanced physically for the manual labor they will do.

As for living longer, I wonder how the human brain could function with 300 years of memories? Perhaps the laborers will be lobotomized and robotized to remain focused on the task.

How do we know that we are not clones of something else already?

Have we not been created and in the image of something that already exists?



DuPont holds the patent for a few genetically modified mice. (1992)


[edit on 29-11-2009 by Alethea]

Originally posted by star in a jar
reply to post by RRokkyy
Wouldn't that make the gene pool rather shallow, and what's stopping the 5% of those on the elite ladder from sparing their lunatic, money and power-hungry seed and besides how much do we know about certain traits not being genetic, but environmental?

The gene pool would still consist of most of the women thus it would not be shallow as the female provides half the genetic material.

Most traits are IMO genetic. All studies done with plants,animals and people point to this conclusion.

People with sociopathic or psychopathic tendencies would be eliminated from the gene pool. Thus the psychopathic politician would not exist.

The Elite NWO order types dont want more smart people to compete with them for power. They prefer a dumbed down low IQ easily brainwashed peasant.

The present system of luxury sterilization (less children equals more luxuries) results in the smarter people having less children, while the dumber people have more children resulting in a declining IQ of the population.


While I was traveling through the desert I met this man who ran this little museum with assorted rocks ,fossils and Indian artifacts. He told me that his grandfather was a Mormon and had ten wives and fifty children. That is how genetic engineering was done in the old days.

reply to post by andy1033


I think I'll use words of others for this instance.

Originally posted by star in a jar
Our code has bugs, so to speak.

Originally posted by andy1033
Also remember that some things that are wrong with us on the surface, are there for the good.

Do not forget that.

-v

Originally posted by Alethea
As for living longer, I wonder how the human brain could function with 300 years of memories?

How do we know that we are not clones of something else already?

Have we not been created and in the image of something that already exists?

Valid questions in my opinion.

With brains it might be able to use memory extension implants, or it could just be that our brains are more capable than we think them to be.

We might be clones already. In a strict sense we are, for natural reproduction is cloning in a sense. In a sense, it would be more precise to speak about Artificial Gene Manipulation (AGM) that just GM.

-v

Originally posted by RRokkyy

Most traits are IMO genetic. All studies done with plants,animals and people point to this conclusion.

People with sociopathic or psychopathic tendencies would be eliminated from the gene pool. Thus the psychopathic politician would not exist.

I won't subscribe wholly to that argument. It is quite likely that the psychological defects and diseases are also caused by education, upbringing and so on, i.e the external sociological conditions, not just our genes.

-v