[Poser]

With the coming genetic revolution, what well-off and well-meaning parents won't buy their embyonic children an intellectual upgrade, an enhanced immune system, stunningly good looks, and/or eliminate some recessive errors?

That's an interesting theory, but I feel that for the forseeable future, those who can't afford selective gene therepy far outnumber those who can. Additionally, they are breeding at a much higher rate than those who might use that service.

I predict that it will be a darned long time before we have the technology to make changes of the order of magnitude necessary to alter the downward trends of the present day.

That's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

[balrog666]

That's an interesting theory, but I feel that for the forseeable future, those who can't afford selective gene therepy far outnumber those who can. Additionally, they are breeding at a much higher rate than those who might use that service.

We already test for genetic flaws prenatally. The next step will be fixing them. No reason simple fixes should be expensive and there's always Uncle Sugar making the rest of us pay for the losers anyway. The millionaire crowd will be paying for new genetic sculpting in place of cosmetic surgery, the billionaires will be experimenting with their designed children, and the losers always lose in the end anyway.

And, or course, there will be a few madmen who will pick and choose the permanent losers by releasing genetically target diseases. And weapons are always easier to design than cures.

Gosh, what fun awaits us all.