Genetic Engineering: Playing God

This topic's kinda old, but what are your stands on it?

Sure alot of people hate the idea of fiddling with God's creations, but wouldn't you think it to bo a little fantastic if you could 'create" your own animal or plant?

Take for example Final Fantasy's Chocobo, to make one, you can fiddle around the genes of an Ostrich (the closest actual animal that kinda looks like a Chocobo) by giving it Canary genes, to give it yellow feathers, an additional toe (Ostriches only have 2), orange legs, & a roundish pointy beak, then Presto Chocobo!!

 

Like any research, it has some noble qualities and some sinister qualities. A wise and responsible individual is required to make sure it stays on the "noble" course.

 

The Eternal paradigm:

To choose the noble path or not?

 

I like to think humans as a whole enjoy being good, it's just that there are a lot of bad eggs out there. Most of them are somehow in positions of power, too.

Like that's fair.

 

Right..... I'm being sarcastic about that part


Anyways, end of sarcasm, Genetic engineering requires alot of "Guess and check" if you call it, it requires many tests, and it's never going to work the first time, so tehre will be many broken individuals, and eventually one perfect one will emere out of the hundreds, or even thousands of them. As Humans, we are allowed to do this, only if it is one hundred perecent certain it won't mess with the actuall body, making them mutated or something, those are rights to us.

We have the right to live, they can't just test on us.

We have the right to privacy, We can't be forced under something that wasn't supposed to be released.

There are alot mroe rights, but the jsut aren't reaching me right now.....I might post them up later if I get them again...

 

It wouldn't be that much of a problem if it were used for "good" purposes. The main thing is, though, not going too far with genetical engineering.
@karnage: That's why they're called experiments. By the way you're looking at it though, it's not going to be happening, as we can't guarantee 100% it'll work. Chances need to be taken.

 

It's easy to say you want it for "good" purposes. But what constitutes "good", especially in such an amazing field? Something could go terribly wrong relatively easy.

For example, one could accidently create a super species that wipes out humanity. Sure, trying to synthesize spider silk could be considered "good", as it's the most durable thread like substance on Earth... but what if those spiders can produce an infinite amount? Or what if it makes them giant? Extra venmous? Intelligent?

A simple "typo" could spell disaster.

 

This may sound "Jurassic Parky", but I really wish we could use genetic engineering to revive some of the extinct animals we lost, like the Dodo bird, the Tasmanian wolf & the Sulfur bottom whale.

And as a sidenote, I recently saw on a DWTV Program that Genetic Engineers are already making a sort of "Noah's Ark" of sorts, collecting & storing Genetic material from today's endangered species so tomorrow's Genetic Engineers may help in reviving them, once & if said species do go extinct

 

Again kinda Jurassic Parky, or worse, the regenerated animal might mutate into something worse, ergo Parasite Eve.

 

I 100% agree to genetic engineering because i want make my own catgirl =P

edit:

o.k, seriously, i agree to genetic engineering because it really a great thing, i mean, dont you want to control whats your child would look like or gender? fix any genetic defect? manufacture organ when needed? reviving extinct species to the world? and creating fantasy creature like mermaid, fairy or catgirl (=P)? genetic engineering have more prons then cons...

Of couse we cant really go and play god without a "fail safe" plan...or we will sure end up like those genetic research goes wrong movie.

 

Reviving animals like dinosaurs probably won't work. Something with evolution and simple bacteria that would kill it instantly.

These days genetic engineering is already being applied to increase crop growth. The possibilit exists to give plants the ability to generate what they need from the air alone, which is also the reason it is not being done. Genetic engineering can manipulate every living thing around us, including us. It's dangerous at a global scale because of the possibility to spread through living beings, which are everywhere. Safest place then would be in outer space.

Still, I'm not against it. If it can save people without doing short-term direct harm, then why not research it.

 

How would you feel if some kid two years younger then you was so gentically superior to you that he could do your work and all your friends too? What if we became like technology becoming obsolete every few years? Genetic engineering is fine if it's used on the weak but if normal people start having it we will kill our humanity.

 

Dude you probably watch too much Gundam!! Or Kyle XY.

Why If such superior humans do become a result then that for me is a good thing, infact I really want to see the next level in human evolution. One possible "next level" human would be a being with superior brain power that it can effectively use 100% of its brain, thus enabling for Telekeinesis & other psychic abilities, but in exchange it looses the need for arms & legs.

 

Such a person would pose a threat to humanity and will not be tolerated. Such things won't change that fast.

 

Humans will never be cloned on a large scale....we simply won't let it happen....

But if work on embryo's can help find treatments and cures for diseases, then isn't that a noble cause ?
I don't know what the present counter argument is....but i'm guessing it's something along the lines of,
"you're destroying a potential human life"

:-\

How many potential human lives are you destroying when you blow your load ??