Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!husc6!seismo!lll-crg!lll-lcc!qantel!hplabs!ucbvax!brahms!gsmith
From: gsmith@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (Gene Ward Smith)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Playing god with germ plasm
Message-ID: <15741@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Sun, 21-Sep-86 00:41:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.15741
Posted: Sun Sep 21 00:41:54 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 23-Sep-86 02:35:59 EDT
References: <1309@drutx.UUCP> <226@octopus.UUCP> <1662@ames.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: gsmith@brahms.UUCP (Gene Ward Smith)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 32

In article <1662@ames.UUCP> barry@ames.UUCP (Kenn Barry) writes:

>It appears the day may be coming when we will have the knowledge to
>alter our biological makeup, the very shape and function of our
>brains and bodies. This raises some interesting questions. Should
>we do such a thing, assuming we figure out how? Will we? If we
>try to improve the species, are we likely to succeed or bring on
>disaster?

I have long thought this may turn out to be the key question of
the next century. By temperment, however, I am unable to worry
much about the consequences. The one character type in the movies
I always identify with is the Mad Scientist. I especially like the
Mad Scientist who *goes too far*, as Victor Frankenstein or William 
Hurt's character in Altered States. Basically I want a laboratory
with Jacob's Ladders sizzling away, and a corpse over which I can
shriek "Give my creation life -- LIFE!!!" Since I doubt if this 
attitude is unique to me (if scientists will build the atom bomb,
they'll build anything that seems half-way sensible) I would guess
that if we do find out how to alter germ plasm for what could be
argued to be the better, we will do it. A genetic change increasing
the neoteny of H. sap, and so both life-span and intelligence at
once, is what I would aim for. Others may have other ideas (better
football players, better disease resistance, who knows?). What is
*possible* will be the main driving force, I would guess. From
the talk.religion perspective, this could be claimed as "trust
in God", I suppose. (If God doesn't stop us, that means it can't
be too bad!) 

ucbvax!brahms!gsmith    Gene Ward Smith/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720
        Fifty flippant frogs / Walked by on flippered feet
    And with their slime they made the time / Unnaturally fleet.