The looming crisis in human genetics

The Economist ^ | Nov 13th 2009 | Geoffrey Miller

[Bob017]

Human geneticists have reached a private crisis of conscience, and it will become public knowledge in 2010. The crisis has depressing health implications and alarming political ones. In a nutshell: the new genetics will reveal much less than hoped about how to cure disease, and much more than feared about human evolution and inequality, including genetic differences between classes, ethnicities and races...

[lookout88]

Sounds like this will be called racist.

[Marie]

Years ago I read of a personality study. They took people from different careers, people in prison, homemakers, etc and gave them all personality profiles.

There was one personality that stood out. Primarily male. Very aggressive, intelligent, driven, ambitious, etc. They found these people in three areas: CEO’s, politicians and prison.

The end result was this: It’s not what you’re given, it’s how you choose to use it.

I’ve told my children, many times, don’t try not to be YOU. Find your greatest weakness (in my son, it’s stubborn will) and turn it into your greatest strength. (My son is working on turning his stubbornness into a drive to success.)

We can’t stop being *us*. If we try, we’ll fail every time. We can easily, thoughtfully transform what we are into wonderful things.

[Bob017]

Good advice.

[Habibi]

Awkward indeed. Racial advantages and disadvantages have been realized for some time, though the ability to discuss the reality has been suppressed by the PC culture we live in. Over time, these racial characteristics are going to be spread about, or hybridized. As to what folks’ll do with their bit of knowledge on genetics is another matter. The old reflex of eugenics will kick again, but I’m not entirely sure if the promise ever matched any of the results. There was that attempt to terminate one of the racial lines some 60 years ago, but I put it down to a poor application of the theory by the Left wing. Funny how they try to mix their science with politics and come up with a purely evil result. Does any of this sound familiar re. global warming?

Suffice to expect that genetic design attempts are going to be a good deal more difficult than folks expect. In general, the human genome is a bit more complex than most folks are prepared for. Twiddling around with it can produce unexpected results, like neoplasms. Lots of fatal genetic combinations will be produced. They may come up with successful attempts, but it will be more akin to finding a cure for cancer. They’re going to have to sneak up on their goal slowly, and even then it won’t be a simple quest.

[steel_resolve]

Ping for later

[rbg81]

Sounds like something right out of the film “Gattaca” (a movie which I highly recommend). Genetics will only be able to explain so much.

[PUGACHEV]

"... It’s not what you’re given, it’s how you choose to use it"

I think what they're afraid that once they take an even closer look they'll find "how you choose" is also a matter of what you're given.

[Bob017]

Yes, those who blame all inequality on unfair social institutions will be particularly annoyed at this. Charles Murray wrote a good piece in the Wall Street Journal a few years ago about the ‘Inequality Taboo’.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007391

[SunkenCiv]

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[Cincinna]

Thanks, Civ, for posting.

This will surely NOT get much attention from the MSM!

[BIGLOOK]

Geez! There are decernible types, the stupid, the intelligent, the bold and the meek. There's a subtype also, the lawyers.

The meek will inherit the earth, owned by the Lawyers.

[SunkenCiv]

:’)

[SunkenCiv]

Ew. Does that mean they’re (gulp) human???

[Altura Ct.]

Ut oh! The egalitarians won’t like this.

[Natufian]

We´re all gonna DIEEEEE!!!!

[maryz]

>i>In general, the human genome is a bit more complex than most folks are prepared for.

I saw an article a few years ago quoting a scientist who said that decoding the human genome, rather than answering questions, was opening up a vast number of new questions!

[decimon]

We gondwana disagree here. I don’t believe intelligence can be defined much less measured and that ‘personality type’ is mysticism.

This will be less valid than climate science.

[bert]

Hey Steve..... paging Steven J Gould!!!

Your scientific liberal bias is being uncovered!!

[Habibi]

“....answering questions, was opening up a vast number of new questions!”

Sure enough. Scientific advancement has seldom made things simpler. The easy answers have been known forever. The tough technical questions are what science does. The difficulty comes when the politicians decide they (1) Understand what science has discovered, and (2) They just have to do “something” about it. Eugenics & Global Warming spring to mind here.

God save the scientists, and protect us from the politicians. Amen