"No compelling reason" why parents shouldn't pick the sex of their children

shamrock_uk · 03-24-2005, 02:08 PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4376041.stm

Now, I kindof agree that there's no real damage or harm it does. But slippery slope!!! This is really dangerous stuff IMO - Britain's always been at the leading edge of this kind of stuff, but always with decent regulatory guidelines and these MPs want to scrap the regulator?! Crazy stuff!

johnny · 03-24-2005, 02:13 PM

Britain needs more females, im all for it. If it's a boy, abort.

Lucern · 03-24-2005, 03:48 PM

lol that's exactly the problem. What could be better than 50/50 male/female split in a species that goes for (serial) monogamous pair bonds (usually)? Of course...the difference here would be statistically negligible under current IVF rates. In 2001 slightly over 1% of babies born in the US were IVF.

And I think you left out an important (unrelated to that topic) aspect of the article. What the hell was with that cross-species hybridization research! What benefit could that possibly bring? It says it 'could be useful for research'...but I'd like an example. All I can think of is the Island of Dr. Moreau, and the old Goat Boy sketches from Saturday Night Live...

[ 03-24-2005, 04:02 PM: Message edited by: Lucern ]

VulcanRider · 03-24-2005, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lucern:
And I think you left out an important (unrelated to that topic) aspect of the article. What the hell was with that cross-species hybridization research! What benefit could that possibly bring? It says it 'could be useful for research'...but I'd like an example. All I can think of is the Island of Dr. Moreau, and the old Goat Boy sketches from Saturday Night Live...

I've heard suggestions that we could grow spare parts for transplants on animals & have them ready if people needed them.

Azred · 03-25-2005, 12:11 AM

Although I love technology, sometimes people get a little weird with it. Why choose your child's gender? Where is the fun in that?

Some of the more detailed "fine-tuning" of children is still a couple of decades away. Have they mapped all the genes for eye color and have they ascertained that some horrible genetic disorder isn't lurking in the eye color gene sequence? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img] Slow but steady progress should be made, but you know that if countries like Britain and the US aren't doing the research then other countries will. Needless to say, I strongly disagree with our current administration's refusal to support genetic/stem-cell research.

One statement I didn't like from the article:

Quote:

from the article:
The MPs also suggest there should no longer be a need to consider the suitability of parents under "welfare of the child" considerations when approving couples for IVF treatment, because it is discriminatory.

There should still be a consideration of the suitability of the parents, because plenty of people who shouldn't have children do have them anyway. That is a topic for another thread, though. [img]graemlins/beigesmilewinkgrin.gif[/img]

Lucern · 03-25-2005, 06:04 AM

That'll do just fine VulcanRider, thanks.

I had not heard that. I had heard, however, the much more (seemingly) promising prospect of stem cells (which can be harvested from unused IVF IIRC) doing that very thing. That's what stem cells tend to do anyway.

None of that will keep me from having my very own satyr door-man, so there. I think this brings us to the last lines of Azred's post

shamrock_uk · 03-25-2005, 08:01 AM

The best advantage is that many animals are genetically quite similar and far more numerous, so considering we have chronic organ shortages its a feasable way of making this up. It's a bit twisted though IMO:

Here's a rather disturbing picture of a mouse with a human ear grown on its back. Apparently it will survive when its taken out. Details here.

PBS has a good website section on the whole xenotransplantation issue.

[ 03-25-2005, 08:03 AM: Message edited by: shamrock_uk ]

VulcanRider · 03-25-2005, 09:01 AM

Looking at that mouse made me think of a herd of pigs with human hands growing out of their backs like shark fins. You'd have a herd of right-handed pigs, and a herd of left-handed pigs, and when they get mad they give you the finger...

Sir Degrader · 03-25-2005, 09:30 AM

Wow. How long did it take to write that?

VulcanRider · 03-25-2005, 10:10 AM

Longer than it took to come up with the idea. It just kinda popped into my head...

03-24-2005, 02:13 PM	#2
johnny 40th Level Warrior Join Date: April 15, 2002 Location: Utrecht The Netherlands Age: 58 Posts: 16,981	Britain needs more females, im all for it. If it's a boy, abort. __________________

03-25-2005, 09:01 AM	#8
VulcanRider Lord Soth Join Date: July 25, 2002 Location: Melbourne FL Age: 59 Posts: 1,971	Looking at that mouse made me think of a herd of pigs with human hands growing out of their backs like shark fins. You'd have a herd of right-handed pigs, and a herd of left-handed pigs, and when they get mad they give you the finger... __________________ ----- Help feed animals in shelters with just a mouse click at The Animal Rescue Site !!

03-25-2005, 10:10 AM	#10
VulcanRider Lord Soth Join Date: July 25, 2002 Location: Melbourne FL Age: 59 Posts: 1,971	Longer than it took to come up with the idea. It just kinda popped into my head... __________________ ----- Help feed animals in shelters with just a mouse click at The Animal Rescue Site !!

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03-24-2005, 02:08 PM	#1
shamrock_uk Dracolich Join Date: January 24, 2004 Location: UK Age: 41 Posts: 3,092	http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4376041.stm Now, I kindof agree that there's no real damage or harm it does. But slippery slope!!! This is really dangerous stuff IMO - Britain's always been at the leading edge of this kind of stuff, but always with decent regulatory guidelines and these MPs want to scrap the regulator?! Crazy stuff!

03-24-2005, 03:48 PM	#3
Lucern Quintesson Join Date: August 28, 2004 Location: the middle of Michigan Age: 42 Posts: 1,011	lol that's exactly the problem. What could be better than 50/50 male/female split in a species that goes for (serial) monogamous pair bonds (usually)? Of course...the difference here would be statistically negligible under current IVF rates. In 2001 slightly over 1% of babies born in the US were IVF. And I think you left out an important (unrelated to that topic) aspect of the article. What the hell was with that cross-species hybridization research! What benefit could that possibly bring? It says it 'could be useful for research'...but I'd like an example. All I can think of is the Island of Dr. Moreau, and the old Goat Boy sketches from Saturday Night Live... [ 03-24-2005, 04:02 PM: Message edited by: Lucern ]

03-25-2005, 06:04 AM	#6
Lucern Quintesson Join Date: August 28, 2004 Location: the middle of Michigan Age: 42 Posts: 1,011	That'll do just fine VulcanRider, thanks. I had not heard that. I had heard, however, the much more (seemingly) promising prospect of stem cells (which can be harvested from unused IVF IIRC) doing that very thing. That's what stem cells tend to do anyway. None of that will keep me from having my very own satyr door-man, so there. I think this brings us to the last lines of Azred's post

03-25-2005, 08:01 AM	#7
shamrock_uk Dracolich Join Date: January 24, 2004 Location: UK Age: 41 Posts: 3,092	The best advantage is that many animals are genetically quite similar and far more numerous, so considering we have chronic organ shortages its a feasable way of making this up. It's a bit twisted though IMO: Here's a rather disturbing picture of a mouse with a human ear grown on its back. Apparently it will survive when its taken out. Details here. PBS has a good website section on the whole xenotransplantation issue. [ 03-25-2005, 08:03 AM: Message edited by: shamrock_uk ]

03-25-2005, 09:30 AM	#9
Sir Degrader Thoth - Egyptian God of Wisdom Join Date: November 3, 2001 Location: Canada Age: 63 Posts: 2,871	Wow. How long did it take to write that?

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