Get Ready for a New Human Species

reply to post by christina-66


All disease in our species is a combination of genetics interacting with the environment over time. There's no doubt that the environment is mucked up by industry, and it's accelerating as we go. They're trying to "upgrade" our genetics to that which seems best fit into the ever changing terrain we're helping create on this rock. I don't see it as anything but the inevitable, based on the current track of things.

So it's partially genetic, but really a result of western civilization's overall "progress". It sure has a ton of trade offs!

Also, many of the best sic fi writers were just visionaries who knew the science, but were beyond their times.

reply to post by unityemissions


I'm no medic but I have had some interesting conversations with those who are. I once asked a doc what medicine could cure. He answered, 'Nothing at all. We can only facilitate the best conditions for the body to cure itself.'

Prevention is the better option than 'cure'....a cure can bring additional problems that weren't in the picture before. e.g. anti-biotics and superbugs.

The BBC seem to be on this at the moment. Today's story Is contraceptive pill fueling prostate cancer?

I do agree with you that the best of science fiction writers were great visionaries in their own right but they were generally inspired by the latest science. Huxley is a good example. The inspiration for his Brave New World came from a JBS Haldane who was a geneticist and evolutionist back in the day...way back in the day. He gave a talk at Cambridge Uni in 1923 which Huxley attended. Brave New World was published in 1932

Eugenics' roots are embedded in Darwin's theories - most notably via a chap called Freidrich Weismann - but did these guys ever dream their ideas would be used as an excuse for mass slaughter and enforced sterilization? I don't think so. These were the actions of misguided control freaks imo...and that is the danger of this latest scientific journey of genetic discovery.

reply to post by Balkan


Good points Balkan and surely one could consider a desire to rid themselves of detrimental genetic bugs as evolution too, naturally. This subject opens up so many doors for consideration, and it's progress will likely be as any other advancement, in that it will start off a bit haphazardly before it planes out to become practical and safe. The curiosity factor of combining or adding genes will have to be navigated through and doing so may lead us to revisit a past described by mythology and Cayce, with genetically mixed humanimals.
A big factor here is who will control this tech and what will be considered okay to manipulate. I just can't wrap my mind around an altruistic process involving this stuff...yet.
We have to have leaders we trust first. Anyone seen any?

reply to post by jonnywhite


Yes, but what is controlling us and calling the shots thrives off our fear. And yet, fear it, we should. I believe that there was a species that had all this intact, and was hijacked by another species, to create what is happening now. And I believe, also, that my knowing this, and others, as well, is to minimize us as "crazies," so that we can do nothing to stop what is planned to happen after.
Emotions. You bring up a salient point, for we have been highjacked and controlled by our emotions. If I love my child, and you control the future of said child, where am I? I will do anything to protect that life, will I not? While you (generalized you) make me guilty of your sins, and thereby take control of the general mind set. So, is it not better to have no emotions.....to just acquiesce to the quantum computer spinning the cycle to defend it's machine self, that it knew better?

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


Excellent thread... Good to see that the fields of genetic research are happily clicking along.

S+F for you.

So where is the menu I can choose from? I'd like cat wiskers and the ability to pur

Seriously, the future is going to be one f-ing crazy place. And the question is, what's next? By the way I can think of something nice, getting genetically updated with say Nefertite's genes. Or better I want a baby that's half Neanderthaler and half grey. Once a certain treshhold is past, people tend to go crazy with new stuff. Needs that didn't exist are created and so new ethics.

I am not talking about eridicating disease even though it's as much evolution as anything else.