"The LA Fertility Institutes run by Dr Jeff Steinberg, a pioneer of IVF in the 1970s, expects a trait-selected baby to be born next year.
His clinic also offers sex selection.
UK fertility experts are angered that the service will distract attention from how the same technology can protect against inherited disease.
The science is based on a lab technique called preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD.
This involves testing a cell taken from a very early embryo before it is put into the mother's womb.
" I would not say this is a dangerous road. It's an uncharted road" ...Dr Steinberg
Doctors then select an embryo free from rogue genes - or in this case an embryo with the desired physical traits such as blonde hair and blue eyes - to continue the pregnancy, and discard any others."
blurbat is reading Brave New World. One of the interesting parallels is that in the Brave New World unfulfilled desires are unacceptible. When you want something, you get it. And you get it now. Are our lives becomming so "desire fullfilment"
based that we will simply destroy unwanted embryoes? Yes.
The next step will surely include fulfilling more and more desires, and later testing in utero. Right now embryo testng can lead to killing the embryos you don't want. There is no reason this won't go to unwanted traits leading to fetus killing. Why should people be restricted to killing only embryos and not fetuses?
What about changing your mind. How late will you be able to change your mind? "You know, there's this new test which looks at X, and if it doesn't come back like I want it lets abort." Once breeding becomes this refined, why won't breeders become a class of people? "I'll take your eggs and your husbands' sperm. And I'll have it all implated in my womb. And you'll have a baby with all the traits you want. And you won't even need to carry it yourself. The fee is quite reasonable you see."
Posts
