Replicants

[Carrikature]

or even to manufacture workers with no free will?

Ignoring the debate on free will for the moment, the amount of change necessary to accomplish this would render it a different species anyway. It'd be like breeding a bipedal draft horse.

[Carrikature]

Isn't there a population problem according to many on the political left? It's why I never understood the drive of science to solve mortality, now they want us to create synthetic humans?

I've never heard of a population problem besides the obvious that increasing global populations mean added concerns for food, space, energy, etc. The population is already peaking, though. The numbers will drop on their own.

Also, solving aging isn't the same as solving mortality.

[seanD]

I've never heard of a population problem besides the obvious that increasing global populations mean added concerns for food, space, energy, etc. The population is already peaking, though. The numbers will drop on their own.

Also, solving aging isn't the same as solving mortality.

John Holdren, Obama's "science advisor," in his book Ecoscience stressed that overpopulation was such a problem that he even presented the idea of putting sterilants in the water to curb fertility. So, yeah.

[Sparko]

another idea. Stepford Wives made to order.

[Sparko]

Stormtroopers

[Sparko]

Ignoring the debate on free will for the moment, the amount of change necessary to accomplish this would render it a different species anyway. It'd be like breeding a bipedal draft horse.

how would you know? maybe it is just a matter of a few genes to make someone compliant and obedient slaves.

[shunyadragon]

Stormtroopers

The Boys from Brazil

[Juvenal]

John Holdren, Obama's "science advisor," in his book Ecoscience stressed that overpopulation was such a problem that he even presented the idea of putting sterilants in the water to curb fertility. So, yeah.

seanD, TWeb's "resident kook," is referring to yet another conspiracy theory promoted by Glenn Beck.

[seanD]

seanD, TWeb's "resident kook," is referring to yet another conspiracy theory promoted by Glenn Beck.

No. Beck claims Holdren endorsed that idea. "Presented the idea," which is what I said doesn't mean endorse the idea, moron. It's in the book, whether you want to deny it or not. The fact they even had the discussion about spiking the water with an anti-fertility substance in the context of overpopulation (a theory proposed by leftwing scientific wingnuts) is looney enough.

[Raphael]

I've seen way too many scifi shows for this to be a good thing........

[Juvenal]

No. Beck claims Holdren endorsed that idea. "Presented the idea," which is what I said doesn't mean endorse the idea, moron. It's in the book, whether you want to deny it or not. The fact they even had the discussion about spiking the water with an anti-fertility substance in the context of overpopulation (a theory proposed by leftwing scientific wingnuts) is looney enough.

Overpopulation is a looney theory, says seanD. Kooks gotta kook, says lao tzu.

[seanD]

Overpopulation is a looney theory, says seanD. Kooks gotta kook, says lao tzu.

Holdren apparently left the overpopulation alarmist bandwagon. Only to jump on board the global warming alarmist bandwagon. So I guess you're right.

[Juvenal]

I've seen way too many scifi shows for this to be a good thing........

The write-up was over the top, but the idea that we can not just read, but write DNA at a large scale is scientifically and technically exhilarating, if ethically fraught. The ethics of reading DNA are difficult enough. My sister-in-law's family was part of a gene study which gave her early warning that she would have heart problems requiring a pace-maker. Had this been known to the insurance companies ...

We've been splicing DNA for quite some time now. Genetically modified food is common now. Genetically modified humans are not. I'd imagine work on this project will be constrained in much the same fashion.

[rwatts]

ethical problems abound.

would they be able to patent the resultant human? scientific slavery? or even to manufacture workers with no free will?

sounds just like bladerunner



it is also ironic that they want to manufacture people while others want to abort them.

I think you are right. Ethical problems abound.

But then, I think the the moment we got large brains, we moved into the territory of ethical problems on so many things.

The moment we made the first bow and arrow, we had the ability to gain food more efficiently than ever before. But then we gained the ability to kill each other more efficiently than before.

[Carrikature]

John Holdren, Obama's "science advisor," in his book Ecoscience stressed that overpopulation was such a problem that he even presented the idea of putting sterilants in the water to curb fertility. So, yeah.

Crazy is crazy. Big deal.