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Chinese Scientists Claim To Have Genetically Modified Human Embryos
Annanag writes: There were rumours — but now it's been confirmed. Chinese scientists have attempted the ethically questionable feat of genetically modifying human embryos. The scientists try to head off ethical concerns by using 'non-viable' embryos, which cannot result in a live birth, obtained from local fertility clinics. The study is a landmark — but also a cautionary tale.
Why is this a cautionary tale? What horrific outcome did they have that we are supposed to learn from?
We've been hindered by what is basically a cult ideology about unborn life that we cannot do experiments like this (legally) in the west. Now China, India and countries that do not have these religious groups hindering progress are making advances in all sorts of science. It is legal to experiment on creatures that are 98% similar to us, the embryos are practically indistinguishable from ours.
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Yes we can make our own sub-species of Nietzschean. Man won't that be great!
You focus on the wrong word. Go back one more. Suck on *this* rock. Singular, specific. Mars is a second point of existence, where a catastrophic event would need to be several magnitudes larger (Sol going nova, for example), rather than just nuclear holocaust, to wipe out humans. Move beyond the solar system, and we would have more chance of surviving what nature throws at us, and what we throw at each other.
There is the "soul" debate and that does up the ante for many people.
Scientifically, however, a fertilized egg is the first point in the process where you have a new individual. That's a rather solid line to use, even if it is rather inconvenient for certain purposes. Of course, depending you your point of view, that may be a benefit of the line, not a problem.
A lot of ethical considerations stem from what you consider to be a "human". While you can set that point anywhere you want to, the problem is also that you can set that point anywhere you want to. With the ability to genetically engineer humans, it's far too convenient to state that they're not human until you're done altering their genome at the most obvious point of intervention.
It's the sort of loophole that can be very easily exploited to alter humans in any way you wish without hindrance. Trying to set anything but the strongest legal framework against this sort of behavior will likely fail because the ability to profit is considerable. You will always have your stereotypical mad scientist or perfectly rational "Chinese scientist" who simply does not accept your ethical position as persuasive.
Right now, under our current legal understanding of "personhood", widespread genetic modification of humans for any purpose whatsoever is entirely possible, and frankly, it's likely. The Chinese researchers here show that if something is possible to do, it is going to be made to happen, which should surprise no one. The only real question is, how do we deal with that reality and what does that mean for humanity? Genetic modification of humans can go either way, I just would not expect it to go without issues.
Scientists don't have to answer moral questions? So you can fuck a corpse of you are scientist, as long as you claim it's for science? I realize that my example is extreme, but your statement is at least as ludicrous. Scientists DO answer ethics questions, and they must abide by ethical codes. Dr. Kevorkian was put in jail because he failed to follow the ethics of his profession.
I really can't discuss anything further while you are out in fantasy land where scientists are allowed to do what ever, when ever, without considering ethics. Come back to earth! Start with the Hippocratic Oath, then find EBEM for starters, or read a bit on bioethics. There is a whole lot of ethics in treaties we have with other nations related to science, and no it's not just weapons.
All of your concerns are fears over what might happen
0 for 2, and trust me I just pulled out the big ones. These are things that HAVE happened. People want the ethical rules in place to prevent them from happening AGAIN.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.