So where will it all lead?

Question

Genetic engineering will eradicate all the big diseases ... for those that can afford the treatments. Or for those unfortunate enough where the treatments are forced upon them (how many wheelchair users in china?)
But i do believe in evolution. Will the ones that can't afford the genetic treatments carry on evolving? What part of humans can be made 'better' from an evolutionary viewpoint other than our biochemistry? Has 'external' evolution done it's thing and are we now 'internally' evolving? Is control of emotions at an ever younger age the next evolutionary step for mankind? It would explain why kids seems to be growing up ever earlier. And it could be beneficial to be aware of emotions when puberty kicks in. Any thoughts appreciated. It's just one of mine. Try not to preach ... i'm psychologically allergic to preachers :-)

Answer 1

Perhaps it will lead as HG Wells saw in _The Time Machine_. Got them Morlocks coming in from across the border now, don't we?

We seem to be undergoing not a Bell Curve but a Well Curve. Students are separated into Advanced Placement classes and the rest of the herd. The AP kids learn and the ROH kids watch videos. It is not an equal population by any stretch of the imagination.

Control of the emotions seems to be more a flattening of emotions by drugs. Kids get labelled "hyper-active" and get speed to burn them out. Depressed kids get the tops of their joy levelled with little lifting of the bottoms. But the doctors keep getting the free samples from the drug companies. I am not a Scientologist. I am just a bit worried.

The best and brightest have always come from the fringes, the estuaries where salt and fresh mix, in our case in America, the emerging population of second generation immigrants: Vietnamese, Hmung, Rumanian, Polish...Cameroon. I wonder how many Iraqi kids we can finally let move over here? I hope a bunch with drive and desire.

The "growing up" is hitting puberty and sexual activity faster. It may be a function of hormone laden food. It certain could not be isolated from the media that shows or hints at sexual acts for younger and younger teens.

My daughter scoffs at me when I ask where the father is of a child and aren't this star and that married (who just had a baby)? The traditional family unit is changing (no, I am not preaching here, just observing that day-care has replaced grandma and aunts and moms). Less time with family units but more time with strange kids changes society. May be beneficial and melding, too. Certainly causes childhood diseases to spread faster.

Taking responsibility for one's emotional state is one of the first jobs of an Entered Apprentice Freemason. It is, of course, not a usual thing in this society. How often do we hear "You made me mad!" or whatever emotion others wish to pawn off on us?

I see less rites of passage for youth. I see longer periods of irresponsibility. There is a great need for ceremonial and shamanic work here to aid boys to transition into becoming men. Outward Bound was a very good step. The military service did some good in that regard but now in misuse as police force in unwinnable and grinding wars will not cause boys to do anything but revert to "first-person-shooter" game boys. We have become like dogs: wolves that have not grown up.

I cannot speak for women. They get that sharp knock on the head very quickly these days. Cervical cancer is an STD. Pregnancy seems almost a minor (pun somewhat intended) consequence. Paris Hilton is a role model? For whom? Sex video while talking on a cell phone. Yes, I get it.

The evolutionary step we will need to see, and I have seen it tried with some success, revolves around consensus government and community involvement. Co-housing is a noble social design and may well be where we need to go. It can be learned. I lived in a co-housing community for a bit. I miss it. It was work but it was richly textured.

For more insight I would suggest reading the smartest futurist I know: Kim Stanley Robinson. Try his California Tryptich, or his latest trilogy (first two are out _Forty Signs of Rain_ and _Fifty Degrees Below_).

Evolution is what we call something after it happens. Right now, we can just call it life. I welcome dialogue with you on this or other topics.

To know me a bit better, you might check out my art. Amuse me and promise discretion and I shall probably trust you with passwords.

Answer 2

I read several SF books about genetics engineering which I think give us some ideas of the possible benefits and problems that a reengineered humanity might experience.

Anyway here are some books that came to mind.

Beggars in Spain and other books in Beggars Trilogy by Nancy Kress. Some of her other books deals with the topic as well.
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The Diamond Age: or A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson, Some genetic engineering but I don't remember that as the focus, but does has some related issues.

Answer 3

I am a future genetic engineer, so here is my veiwpoint on all this:
We will probably go good and bad. We may eradicate diseases, clone endangered species and keep them alive, figure out a way to control poulation, or we could clone food so there is enough for everyone (and maybe reduce child labor in the process), but, here's teh dark side:we may create viruses genetically, if too much cloning goes on, over population, we may reset something and we wouldn't be human or we would start from cavepeople all over again, or we may go extinct, we could throw the population outa whack, some people may try to clone animals just for labor, which I think is cruel, some people will try to hybreed animals to become killers..... teh list on both good and bad goes on. I think it really depends on what you use it for, how to use, who uses it, and how much control you have of need so not much can go wrong. That's my answer and I 'm sticking by it. Oh, all you people who said genetic tampering is bad, I resent that! :-)

Answer 4

Genetic engineering may result in undesired result.It can be made a wepon to change human nature and character.Benefit it may be treatment of a few diseases.But tampering with genes and DNA will result in horrible results.It better we should not tamper the nature.

Answer 5

Tampering with nature is what we do best and is what seperates us from the lower life forms. The natural way is seldom the best way. The natural world is a cruel place, not the fantasy world some make it out to be.

Simba - not even God can make something from nothing. What a stupid concept.

Answer 6

I believe that God gives us the power and knowledge to use our scientific expertise. We have to be wise or the consequences may be irreversible. Did splitting the atom lead us into creating a nuclear bomb? Knowledge and science is a very powerful and dangerous thing. We must be wise with how we use it.

Answer 7

Man can only try and act like God. He will never be God.

God can create whole wolrds out of nothing. Man can only convert energy from one form to the other. Man cannot create energy out of nowhere.

So all this genetic engineering, will lead us only where God wants it to lead us. Not one step beyond.

Answer 8

This is evolution too. man will create safe man

Answer 9

good and bad stuff