<p>I read that in the near future we will be able to enhance our genes. An example was if someone has very curly hair he/she can undergo a genetic alteration so that they begin producing straight hair, and the texture of the hair changes. Same thing for straight hair people who want curly hair. </p>
<p>What do you guys think, is this going to even happen?</p>
<p>It’s unlikely that we will be able to enhance our genes. It’s much more likely that we’ll be able to alter our children’s genes.</p>
<p>Hair is just peanuts(trivial but daunting peanuts) to the entire field of gene therapy. I’m more concerned with preventing mental retardation. AS SHOULD YOU.</p>
<p>I read that we can and that gene enhancement will allow this. i’m wondering how that can be though. As in what must be done to the body</p>
<p>I’m kind of curious as to how they would be able to introduce a genetic alteration and have it “catch on” in the body.</p>
<p>Pretty sure that’s not possible. You would have to alter the DNA of every hair cell to achieve that. The only time it is feasible to do something like this is when the entire body is just one (or two) cells, which is what Narc&Gold is referencing in his/her posts.</p>
<p>Well this article says that we can, and that issues like baldness will be treated by genetic enhancement to cure it. and this obviously means baldness for adults, so by the same token, an enhancement or alteration of other physical issues can be possible.
[washingtonpost.com:</a> Science on the Ethical Frontier](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/science/ethical/cosmetic.htm]washingtonpost.com:”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/science/ethical/cosmetic.htm)</p>
<p>“I’m kind of curious as to how they would be able to introduce a genetic alteration and have it “catch on” in the body.”</p>
<p>check out the green box on the website, it explains how it can possibly catch on.</p>
<p>We’re nowhere near the levels of technology necessary to genetically alter an organism at any sort of sufficiently advanced stage of development, but we’re not too far off from commercial genetic alteration on the level of gametes – and so on the level of future generations. I would support anyone’s desire to make super-babies (the natural progression after we’ve eliminated genetic diseases in the inheritors of the world’s capital – ie, the rich paying to have their offspring be attractive, intelligent, etc. by ensuring that their children have those genes which we’ve isolated and determined to cause said traits) and would probably seek to make my biological offspring the most intelligent and athletic and healthy possible, if I had any inclination to have biological children, that is.</p>
<p>Hell yeah! And after a few generations of widespread enhancing, the human race could consists of super genius athletes.</p>
<p>Well, I imagine that at first it would be only a few nations, and then only after quite a while (centuries, maybe? Empty speculation, lol) we’d have it widespread. I mean, think of how many generations ago clean water was developed, lol, and then think of the people that don’t have that yet, even. And purified water is a tad easier to get than gene-enhancing equipment, lololol.</p>
<p>designer babies? i’d rethink that. the bald cure is already in works on that website, and that’s on current living organisms, so i don’t see how the other things can’t be later.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Why would you need gene therapy for something that can be done in 15 minutes with a curling iron? Even with other examples, most of them can already be done by simpler methods. Seriously, one would hope they put more effort into curing diseases than cosmetics.</p>
<p>yes. It will be exactly like in die another day, you simply wear a rainbow mask and you can alter your entire DNA sequence.</p>