Willravel

Congratulations, you and your SO have decided to have a baby! You now have some decisions to make. What gender would you like the child to be? What potential IQ would you like the child to have? What height would you like him or her to be? Would you like him or her to have a genetic predisposition for heterosexuality or homosexuality? Would you like the child to have hollow bones for speed? Maybe you'd like the child to see UV light? Perhaps he or she should have a clear second set of eyelids and gills for aquatic life? Please fill out the forms and we'll get to work immediately. Once we have the sperm and egg, we can grow your son or daughter in about 6 weeks. Again, congratulations and thanks for choosing the Tyrell Corporation!

So where do you stand on genetic engineering? I'm sure most people would be fine reducing the odds of genetic disorders or malformations, but would you also consider augmentations? What augmentations would you be okay with? Is this playing god? Is there anything wrong with playing god?

Personally, I'm a bit torn. On the one hand, I see certain augmentations as a positive: imagine having people with a stronger resistance to disease, no allergies, longer life, and superior mental and physical abilities. On the other hand, where does this end? Should humans have the ability to artificially alter our own evolutionary process? Surly we have to a certain extent through the development of medicine and technology, but I suspect most would agree this would be taking that to a very different level. Imagine humans capable of winged flight or with superhuman strength; it's the stuff of bad comic books and it raises questions about what these people might do with these abilities. Moreover, there's the possibility that genetic mistakes could be made that result in the end of humanity, or super-humanity. There could even be a divergence of species, homo sapiens becoming 2 or 3 or more different species.

Where do you stand?