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Petri Dish Babies, 25 Years Later
bl8n8r writes ""You can't buy a baby in the United States," said Caplan. "... But you can buy the sperm, you can buy the egg and you can rent the uterus." So, what I want to know is if it's cheaper than my current apartment, and if utilities are included :D" See also a good story about IVF in the Mercury News.
Agreed, After me neither of my parents were able to have kids but wanted to have more of their own. My sister (now 16) was a GIFT (Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer) baby and my brother (now 11) was In Vitro and actually frozen for a year before he was implanted. Both are now doing great. I know that there are many children out there waiting to be adopted which is another great option for parents that want children, but I do believe that modern infertility are amazing and worth looking into if you really want to have a child of your own and are unable to. Be warned however, the process is not cheap.
Heh. Reminds me of the cows they have at the University of Idaho that have "windows" installed to see their stomachs (article here or google for more info)
They are quite a sight.
If you had nuts on your chin, would they be chin nuts?
There are lots of genetic problems that technology is able to overcome. Do you have vision problems? Surely you arent suggesting that folks with inferior vision shouldnt have been born in the first place, rather than having their vision corrected via glasses and / or medication? Do you suffer from asthma? Today, with the proper medication, there are asthma sufferers who are able to compete in the Olympics. Do you have diabetes (OK - not sure if this is a genetic defect, but the point still stands)? Should people with diabetes be allowed to die in order to "purify" the gene pool?
Human evolution is a different ballgame. People today are physically larger overall than their medievial ancestors because of better nutrition. They live a lot longer because of better health care and dentistry. They can live in harsh environments thanks to technological solutions like air-conditioners and winter jackets, and shoes. Why do you think the Luddite way is any better? IMHO, the good old days werent really that good - and if people do think so, its only because they tend to forget the numerous small nits from earlier days rather easily.
There is no such thing as luck. Luck is nothing but an absence of bad luck.
In countries where this kind of technology gets used most often there is no over-population problem. Most industrialized nations have declining populations, and the world as a whole may well have a declining population quite soon.
I think it's great that some people are willing to take on the difficult task of raising other people's children, but I also think it is sad when the natural desire to raise one's own children is denigrated as stupid, selfish, or perverse.