hey_sjay

The one I where I worked, each teller had two bait 50s in their drawer. I think the vault bait was a bundle of 100s.

I recently watched a few docs on CRISPR, so this is top of mind - How do you feel about germline editing to remove genetic disorders from the gene pool?

You should definitely look into the Veteran’s History Project through the Library of Congress.

I asked a similar question. It seems bonkers to me that when gene editing people immediately want to start challenging the ethics of it.

But, it seems to me that having the technology to stop generations of suffering and not using it would be the unethical thing to do.

Fair point. There is a lot of education and discussion that needs to go into this. Clear lines will have to be drawn. And people will need to be willing to explore the nuances. Some want to say we shouldn't edit DNA at all, even though there are so many natural factors that can edit our DNA. Some say absolutely no germline editing.

The all or nothing approach is a terrible option. Lines will have have to be drawn. The question is where? Do we eliminate all genetic disease? What about spectrum disorders, ADHD, anxiety, depression? Do we breed these out of existence by eliminating them from the germline or do we test for them in utero and make modifications if an anomaly is found? (The latter of which wouldn't have worked for OP). How far is too far when it comes to "designer babies?" And how much would that even matter? Sure studies confirm that attractive people have it easier in life, but that doesn't guarantee that they'll succeed. And just because someone has an aptitude for something, doesn't mean that they'll put in the work needed to excel in it.

An obvious hard line would be anything involving race. But, what about biracial couples? Should they be allowed to select which race their child would be able to "pass" as?

And what other implications do we consider? I watched Human Nature last night and it featured a teen with sickle cell disease. They explained that if a child is born with two copies of the gene that causes sickle cells, without the intervention of modern medicine, they die very young. But, if a child is born with one copy of the gene that causes sickle cells, they're resistant to malaria!

I'm excited to see how the conversation unfolds and how far the science progresses during my lifetime. I can definitely see how these concepts are scary for some, but I find them fascinating.