Aspies For Freedom

Sounds alot like the holocaust to me..

Guess thats what happens when people play God.

eh...yup.

Actually there is a very good sci-fi film, based on the concept of designer babies vs "God-children". It's called Gattaca. I think if you've never seen it you should, it's a very good film on this topic. It also demonstrates that perhaps designer babies aren't as perfect as they may seem.

There's an Epilogue in the special features secton of the DVD, where they show different people who have acheived despite their physical setbacks. They say that these people might never have been born if society became entirely made of "perfect" children. Then at the end is also says, someone else who might never have been born is you. I mean, if you watch it have a box of kleenex on hand. It's so moving, and really does reflect our views.

In fact, it'd be really cool if we could get permission or an Autism Advocacy group could get permission to use the epilogue, during presentations. It'd really send a strong message.

A lack of diversity would be dangerous. It's the whole reason why asexual organisms are the most productive species on earth because our genes continually get mixed every generation instead of solely relying on random mutations to create diversity.

There is a certain number of organisms which are supposed to fall to the wayside, according to Biology, which allows those on top to flourish. There's a limited amount of resources. The more diverse means the more potential for that subgroup to develop and, in the biological sense, \"take the dive\".

Whichever group that'll be can vary depending on the environment.

There's a good description of why asexual life is the \"prefered\" method and its advantanges in The Sexual Brain by Simon LeVay. Excellent book.

Yes, I shouldn't type anymore in the mornings. My brain just doesn't work. :roll:

Mixes of mutations are incredibly important, yes. But there are inevitable mutations which are also dangerous. And by \"falling to the wayside\", these are more successfully weeded out. Also thereby improving the numbers of resources:organisms available. So it's a double bonus.

For humans, it's calculated that each individual has, on average, about 300 mutations (give or take a little) from past generations and their own and, on average, about 4 of those will have a negative impact on the organisms ability to survive in its environment. Whether they be prone to developing high cholesterol and then a deadly heart attack or, in a more extreme, they're born without limbs. Either way, it's more beneficial that, the more deadly the mutation, the better it is that that generation does not propogate.

Huntington's Disease is an unfortunate mutation in which sexual selection turns a blind eye since it often is only identified in a person's 40s or 50s after they have had children, with a 50/50 chance of passing it on. This is a case in which sexual selection has failed-- and likely the same reason heart disease has become so prominent in our species these days because rarely does one develop heart disease before or during the ages in which most would be having children and passing on genes. If heart attacks were to occur instead at, say, around age 20-25, heart disease would probably fairly quickly be weeded out.

With sexual propogation (got it right that time :wink: ), dangerous mutations are inevitable, so by some \"falling to the wayside\", 1) those mutations are better weeded out, and 2) there are more resources for those who survive.

bohemian_storm Wrote:

I shake in my boots at the thought of society killing off Jews, left-handers or short people, too. However - as with people killing off autistics - I seriously don't think it's anything I have to worry about any more than I worry about a comet hitting the Earth. It's very unlikely; even this hypothetical genetic screening is decades from existence.

"However - as with people killing of Down Syndromites - I seriously don't think it's anything I have to worry about."

Yes, it's very important to make sure that the victims of a genocide do not take action early on, when they might stand some chance of preventing it.

We are already in the midst of Stages 3 and 4.

Yes, I agree with this last comment. Foetuses actually have no power so can be killed off at will (and are). We can already see what is happening with Down's syndrome. Trying to eradicate autism by preventing people with the gene or genes from being born can't be too far away and we should certainly be worrying.

It might not happen tomorrow but unless our society has a significant change of mind from expecting perfection, there will be much pressure on prospective parents in the next few decades and certainly within our lifetime.

Also, we don't all live in the USA and therefore don't get all the same ads and TV programmes.