What do all of you think of genetic engineering ?(modifying....or "tinkering" with our genes)

I dont know much about the subject, I just thought it might raise some issues on ethics, whether it is a rational thing to do or not.

Personally, I think genetics is a bit like "playing God"
Now, this doesn't mean that it is a really horrible thing to do.....after all, God is NOT a horrible being. I just mean that maybe doing things like cloning, or stopping death,or even changing your baby's hair colour, stuff like that, isnt really necessary. Why not let the natural order of things run its course?

Hmm... yes... its a very ethical thing... my thinking tends to be more scientifically inclined so i'd have to say that i'd prefer to have genetic cloning around... but for the things that really matter... i couldn't care less about my kid's hair colour, or stopping death... My kids are my kids, i love them for that, and death? face it, we're born with an expiry date... the most i'd do is allow myself to somehow download my brain and personality into a computer... something like... hmm a virtual reminder... So that my family doesn't miss me that much when i'm gone. =P

What i would do however, is probably things like... hereditary diseases and genetic problems. Think about it. If you knew you were Diabetic, you parents were diabetic and so on so forth, you're almost positive your kid will get it... would you want him to suffer? or lets say something more serious. Hereditary Cancer. Wouldn't you want to stop something like that? or you knew your child had a weak heart, asthmatic, failing livers... The list goes on. If you could create articial organs that will improve their life, would you do it? its a very... hmm.. debateble thing...

Watch the show called "The Island" it might not be good as a movie, but it shows you a thing or two of what genetics might bring... Old movies like "Gattaca". The creation of better humans through test tubes, no diseases, whatever eye and hair colour your want... In the movie these... test tube babies were the new thing, so much so that natural babies were claimed "Invalid" and only allowed to do jobs like... being a janitor or a cleaner...

Hmm... there are alot of things to discuss still, but i'll leave it as that.

Well that's what people do: they play god. In some ways it's wrong to do all those tests but still it is future. It can't be very bad thing if you are trying to make human life better.

Personaly I think that Full metal alchemist is good example in this matter. And "the island" is another.

I'm a students specialized in biology and medical.Though I agree the view that we have no right to decide the gene of our offsprings,I don't think genetic engineering should be banned totally.For example,we can create organs for people who need them.As we all know,organs with the same gene won't be excluded by the host.It is a great progress in transplantation technology.And it can stop the trade of organs in blackmarket.
There are also other advantages of genetic engineering such as creating food more nutritious and delicious.In a word,we cann't deny it though it has some shortcomings.

I WANT A PHOTOSHOP PLUGIN IN MA BRAIN! AND A LIFE BODY INTERNET CONNECTION

sorry drifted off there, aah whell during the time where we can tinker with genes and other genetic shizzle well be like 50 years later, so for now well just have to play black and white 2 ore wait for spore to get that god feeling XP

They did that to animals...
they did that to plants...
it's just a matter of time before the humans get genetic treatment.
kinda scarry

but i'd raelly like to have genetic enhancement that can make me shoots lazer from my eyes or throws fire from my mouth.. :)

I don’t think it should be used for things like creating children for people who can’t have them themselves or creating children with certain characteristics because their parents want them to look like some celebrity or something, because there are tons for orphaned kids all over the world that deserve a chance to be adopted. Besides more people that live longer would lead to further overpopulation of the planet.

I think it should be used for things like creating organs with less chance of rejection for people who need them like you guys said or making people more resistant to diseases and birth defects or modifying food producing plants so they can grow in climates they wouldn’t normally or even trying to bring back some extinct species of animal except dinosaurs of course, they can stay dead IMO.

BTW, if anyone is interested here is a site on the topic. Click

This can become a serious issue if anything like "the island" is ever to happen basically if they used this genetic engineering for ppl's own selfish reasons it wont be that great i mean change the baby's eye color and hair color? how much would that cost that would only b available to those who has the money and also they will just b doing that to achieve what? to make their kids look better? O_o i think that is ridiculous... i mean yes better transplant and such for the people in need is a good idea but when it gets out of hand like cloning and such i don't think it would be such a good idea... nature running its own course can be a good thing trying to make something out of it probably is not such a smart thing to do...

Old movies like "Stigmata". The creation of better humans through test tubes, no diseases, whatever eye and hair colour your want... In the movie these... test tube babies were the new thing, so much so that natural babies were claimed "Invalid" and only allowed to do jobs like... being a janitor or a cleaner...

You are thinking of Gattaca, not Stigmata which was a religion crit type movie.

This is probably one of the very few issues I am very conflicted about and do not have an answer for whether I agree or dissagree. The problem lies with how far do we take medicine and medical technology before we crossed the boundry into unethical? Ultimately, I feel that modern medicine is really going too far. We're trying to find a cure for every genetic disorder out there, trying to heal every sickness, trying to extend life...to what ultimate purpose? To eventually eliminate death, sickness, or genetic problems altogether? There tends to be a pattern throughout history...as soon as a cure for one terrible disease is found, a couple others that are equal or worse in severety pop up. Additionally, people are trying to find cures for things that are completely natural processes that have no cure...such as Cancer. It's a terrible disease, and I've had family members subject to various horrible aftermaths of it's toll, but the truth is that cancers are a natural phenomena that occurs in nearly all forms of plants and animals. The fact is, all things eventually die, and if they don't die from viruses and sicknesses, then there has to be natural processes that achieve that ultimate purpose...those processes being things such as cancer, aging, the cutting off of the ends of our genetic code from chromosomes each time our cells divide/reproduce. These are things that although lead to unpleasant and painful outcomes, are necessary in the circle of life.

Initially, no one found anything wrong with genetic engineering plants to make bigger tomatoes, crops that are resistent to pests, etc. Then, people wanted cures for genetic diseases...some were found. But where does it end? Where is the boundary? How far is too far? Is it only too far when we have to clone stem cells to create replacement organs? Why is it unethical? And is the replacement of organs to begin with completely ethical? Are we simply running from our fears of death and find all the ways we can to run a little longer? If we say that genetically engineering human cells to eliminate fatal genetic disorders that will cause a person to die young, be crippled, etc. is ok, then why wouldn't it also be ok to further engineer for specific traits we DO want such as looks, abilities, skills, etc. Where is the line? And if we say that all genetic engineering is bad...then that will mean we will have to accept all the genetic disorders that cause babies to die before they reach their first year, or diseases that leave a person to live a crippled life, or be mentally retarded. People may be fine with this until they have a child of their own or until they themselves find that they are the subject to their own scrutiny and change their mind.

It also means that we'll have to stop engineering our plants and animals because if it's wrong to genetically engineer humans because it's playing God/not natural/etc, then what makes it right to do it for any other organism? I doubt people can fully comprehend just how much various forms of genetic engineering has improved the lives of people in countries that can afford it, and even improved the lives of people in poor countries. The effects aren't just dealing with humans, this has been done for decades on non-humans.

Hmm.. thanks for the statement... it really was Gattaca... >_< i mixed it up.. you got a really good point there... how far is too far... hmmm

Additionally, people are trying to find cures for things that are completely natural processes that have no cure...such as Cancer.

Yes some types of cancer can be considered a natural process, but not the ones brought about by human actions. Like, the chemicals in our food, radiation, bathing in the sun too long, or powerlines.

These are the cases Genetic engineering is trying to help, not some little old lady dying of cancer.

I personally think that this topic has no point...
I cannot say anything about the topic coz we are not medical doctors nor genetic engeneers... If its ethical or unethical: it is and it is not... With this discussion you can go around in circles for days and not find an answer, coz some answers are true, and some are not... Overall genetical engeneering is good, but you have people who want to abuse that knowledge... I mean that is nothing new... Science has been abused for wrong purposes before so nothing will change now...I mean if it wasnt abused the world today wouldnt be "the wordl today"... Maybe it could be better but we dont know that right? But we have to live with it... That is the part of life and part of nature... It is not playing god, and we are not separated from nature, we are a part of it. so everything is going the way nature wants it... There is no way you can say that we influence nature... Nature is nature and nothing more... It changes every day... millions of years ago when Earth was different nature has been called Nature, and still today after Mans destruction and creation it is still called Nature, and it will be called that in the future no matter if we make clones or cure all deseases, or die from them...
Also there are hundreds of factors that influence your oppinion on a topic that you (and me) really dont know much about...

So i cant really say much...
I say: It is good and i hope it helps a lot of people...

There are good things and there are bad things; genetic engineering is what you make of it like all other sciences. It would be silly to ban it just because it is "tinkering with those little building blocks." The current regulations with it just prove how unflexible and left-behind some people are, much like with nuclear energy and abortion. Don't like it? Perhaps fear it a bit too? The universal solution: BAN IT.

Being a christian one would say that i'm totally aginst it. i may be, i may be not. that's a case-to-case basis.

for the issue of livestock and agricultural consumption, i'm okay with cloning. but for duplicating human beings, i don't think that's something ethical or even agreeable. would you like to have a clone and have that clone running your life... and eventually robbing you of your identity. eitherway, i also think that a clone having the same memory is impossible, yet the same soul.

also, health-wise, a clone ages faster than the original being. as you can see with the cloned sheep. they age fast and signs of health disorders from the original start to appear at an early age (chronologically). so if you have cancer and you are cloned, your clone is not healthy since it inheritted your disorder.

a human clone will also be an empty box, more basically a doll since it will not posses a soul. only God can make a soul.

putting cloning aside, genetic engineering is also quite unacceptable to some. i think it's also not acceptable for me, though i have nothing against it personally. main reason would be: i don't want to manipulate what my child's traits will be. i want my child developing his own skills. if you genetically engineered your child with the traits and skills that you want, it would be like "i want my son to be a doctor but he wants to be a lawyer but has no choice because the child does not have talent for law".

my two cents Ü

I want to go into this field too.