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mammoth tusk hunting, genetic engineering of dogs, humans


shootingstar

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Just saw the Swiss film Genesis 2.0 which appears to be about a bunch of Siberian mammoth tusk hunters to make money  via the ivory trade in China/Asia. But movie is much more than that....beyond archaeology, palentology ..moves to genetic engineering. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/01/movies/genesis-20-review.html

Scientists get blood from a frozen-thawed Siberian mammoth of 30,000 yrs. ago in hopes to clone the woolly mammoth (which is led by G. Church at Harvard University).  So one of the lead Russian scientists visits a company in Seoul where they are genetically engineering and producing puppies. 

Anyway you learn more about the Chinese firm BGI and genetic engineering.  Which led to the controversy of CHinse scientist who genetically altered twin embryos ..a lst in world.  https://www.npr.org/2019/02/05/690828991/gene-editing-scientists-actions-are-a-product-of-modern-china     All recent news in past 18 months.  So now U.S. doing same controversial human genetic work:  https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/02/01/689623550/new-u-s-experiments-aim-to-create-gene-edited-human-embryos    All sorts of big questions on ethics and unknown results for genetically engineered babies.. 

I'm glad I'll be dead by then. I'm open to exploring other planets, open to robotics, I'm probably eating genetically modified food of some sort...but Man manipulating DNA of human embryos is no-go zone for me.  Creating a "better" genetically engineered human being just creates even more inequity.

Scientists typically just like to do research and often like to be "first" in their field without much long term serious impacts of their research.  ?

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32 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

Just saw the Swiss film Genesis 2.0 which appears to be about a bunch of Siberian mammoth tusk hunters to make money  via the ivory trade in China/Asia. But movie is much more than that....beyond archaeology, palentology ..moves to genetic engineering. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/01/movies/genesis-20-review.html

Scientists get blood from a frozen-thawed Siberian mammoth of 30,000 yrs. ago in hopes to clone the woolly mammoth (which is led by G. Church at Harvard University).  So one of the lead Russian scientists visits a company in Seoul where they are genetically engineering and producing puppies. 

Anyway you learn more about the Chinese firm BGI and genetic engineering.  Which led to the controversy of CHinse scientist who genetically altered twin embryos ..a lst in world.  https://www.npr.org/2019/02/05/690828991/gene-editing-scientists-actions-are-a-product-of-modern-china     All recent news in past 18 months.  So now U.S. doing same controversial human genetic work:  https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/02/01/689623550/new-u-s-experiments-aim-to-create-gene-edited-human-embryos    All sorts of big questions on ethics and unknown results for genetically engineered babies.. 

I'm glad I'll be dead by then. I'm open to exploring other planets, open to robotics, I'm probably eating genetically modified food of some sort...but Man manipulating DNA of human embryos is no-go zone for me.  Creating a "better" genetically engineered human being just creates even more inequity.

Scientists typically just like to do research and often like to be "first" in their field without much long term serious impacts of their research.  ?

I’m sure the argument is making people who are free of cancer, diabetes etc but it does start a slippery slope.  First pigs & cows, then dogs and then people..

It does cause concern with me too.

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1 hour ago, ChrisL said:

I’m sure the argument is making people who are free of cancer, diabetes etc but it does start a slippery slope.  First pigs & cows, then dogs and then people..

It does cause concern with me too.

A small segment of this film, shows a U.S. couple that paid $100,000 for 2 genetically cloned puppies from a Korean genetic engineering company. I bet some of the Asians are just chlortling over this in the money-making venture.

So far, BGI's cash cow (literal words of their firm's public relations person on film) are parents who want to avoid a baby with Down's Syndrome.  

However, we don't have to go too far back in history, to remember that Hitler's regime dabbled seriously in genetic engineering but in the name of science and working towards a more "perfect" group of humans..in their super narrow and dangerous perspective.

 

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23 minutes ago, sheep_herder said:

I worry about this about like I worry about having to replace 30-year fence posts and 30-year shingles on the house.  Not much.

Sure, your fence posts will outlive you.  ?

I don't doubt the speed in which human genetic engineering will occur in the next 2 decades.  It will. We just don't pay much attention what's happening in the East...lots of stuff going on...that rarely gets reported in mainstream media.

We already are beneficiaries of science in a more benign way....just our longevity after years of medical advances and public education on ways for healthier living.

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38 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

Sure, your fence posts will outlive you.  ?

I don't doubt the speed in which human genetic engineering will occur in the next 2 decades.  It will. We just don't pay much attention what's happening in the East...lots of stuff going on...that rarely gets reported in mainstream media.

We already are beneficiaries of science in a more benign way....just our longevity after years of medical advances and public education on ways for healthier living.

You may have forgotten that I was a researcher for 30+years.  I have a healthy appreciation for science, but I am also realistic about what I can impact in the distant future as a 76 year old retiree.

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