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Controversial Company Offers a New Way To Make a Baby (sciencemag.org)
sciencehabit writes: A controversial fertility company called OvaScience is preoccupied by an enduring mystery in human biology--why eggs fail--and the palpable hope that we can do something about it. The company offers a new treatment, called AUGMENT, based on what it considers to be egg precursor cells found in a woman's ovaries. AUGMENT, which costs UP TO $25,000, along with thousands more in clinic fees and roughly $25,000 for the IVF cycle that must accompany it, relies on mitochondria from putative egg precursor cells to boost the success of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Seventeen babies have been born so far. The company, which has attracted hundreds of millions of dollars from investors, is poised to introduce a second treatment. But many scientists doubt that egg precursor cells actually exist.
Hush! Why do you want more fertile people, this planet is overpopulated as it is!
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
It's disputed that it works, but 17 babies have been created by this procedure so far.
No. 17 babies have been created by IVF. Whether it would have worked without AUGMENT is at debate.
So, does it work or doesn't it?
Yes, that's the question
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
It's disputed that it works, but 17 babies have been created by this procedure so far. So, does it work or doesn't it?
That's exactly the question. The procedure consists of IVF plus "mitochondria from putative egg precursor cells." We know IVF works, but do the mitochondria help?
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
In the places where people can afford a procedure like this, there is no overpopulation problem. Every couple deserves a fair shot at parenthood.
The perfect scam, we take your egg, perform some woogie that you can't see or verify, but trust us, it works.
Who is going to pay for the fair shot of those that can't throw 50 grand at it?
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
The thing about babies is that when they arrive they change everything in your life. Some for the better and some worse. Generally they mostly change your attitude about life for most people. There are some sad exceptions though.
First of all your original question is nonsense, the planet is in no way 'overpopulated', you are showing your dictatorial attitudes there. Secondly being able to buy something with a stack of cash is the most fair and democratic way to distribute resources (and services) as long as the system is a free market capitalism (which is hard to find nowadays). You get your free fair shot at the end of each intercourse. If you don't have somebody to do that with, who is supposed to provide you with a fair shot at it? Should I omen be compelled by the force of the government to let you have a go, so that you may attempt to duplicate your genetic material? Well, given that the usa and some other governments have been overtaken by feminists, which led to the welfare state, I doubt you could achieve that sort of 'fairness'.
You can't handle the truth.
Hush! Why do you want more fertile people, this planet is overpopulated as it is!
Even China, which until last week, had a one child policy, now has relaxed that to two. Reason is that they think they have a shortage of people - despite it being well above a billion. Should say something.
A good solution to the population problem could be exchange of populations. If Russia and India swapped populations, the density would be pretty even. You could fit India's entire population comfortably in Siberia, and send all Russians into India. One would then realize whether the world is over-populated or not
China did not eliminate its one child policy because it wanted more population growth. It has in fact been relaxing it for years and did away with it entirely because of the social problems it causes:
* in traditional Chinese culture male offspring are highly valued and when allowed only one child many couples abort female fetuses. In rare but all too numerous cases newborn girls have even been killed just after birth. The result is that there are 10s of millions more men in China than women now. The one child policy has been relaxed for years to allow women to have a second child if their first was female to help balance the population. This has virtually eliminated infanticide but has been slow in re balancing population.
* measures to enforce one child policy have been very cruel, such as the common policy of denying anaesthetic to women in labour with their second child and clawback of social assistance and forced sterilisation of women without consent immediately after the birth of a child.
* the significantly greater number of young men to young women has been attributed to problems with sex crimes from human trafficking to gang rapes, though much of the evidence is anecdotal
* there are now a couple of generations of people in China raised as only children. These children have been doted upon and spoiled rotten by parents and grandparents all their lives, turning many of them into entitled "little emperors". The lack of empathy towards others and lack of respect towards elders has been unsettling to older Chinese where those traits are very important in traditional culture. It has led to institutionalisation of seniors that was almost unheard of as well as exploitation of workers and in extreme, occasional cases, incidents such as people ignoring a toddler run over by a car dying in the street while everyone goes on about their business.
Anyways population is self limiting as societies develop and direct population control has been shown to backfire. Allowing those with the means and desire to have fertility treatments to conceive is probably a net benefit to society on the whole when properly regulated. At least these parents really want to be parents and have the means and the drive to be good parents.
Adopt and inferior human pup? Never!
I am posting as AC because I am an 'illegal' immigrant and I want to get pregnant.
Send photos, vital stats, and recent health certificate, some of us may be able to help you out there...