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22 Comments
- copypastry, on 11/07/2009, -1/+32Talk about making lemonAIDS when life gives you AIDS.
- spworm, on 11/07/2009, -1/+23Side effects may include: zombie holocaust
Brought to you by umbrella corp. - Leerlaufprozess, on 11/07/2009, -1/+20Anyone else reminded of "I am Legend"?
- OverZealousHobo, on 11/07/2009, -2/+20side effects may include:
allergic reaction, altered taste, back pain, blindness, breast development in males, breast pain or enlargement, breathing difficulties, bruise-like marks on the skin, cataracts, changeable emotions, AIDS, chest pain, cold, clammy skin, conjunctivitis (pinkeye), coughing, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, double vision, dry eyes, eye pain, fainting
gotta sneak it in there... - weirdralph, on 11/06/2009, -3/+21So scientists are now "editing" HIV to save lives.
Talk about making lemonade when life hands you lemons! - spworm, on 11/07/2009, -0/+5That's exactly the kind of pun AIDolf Hitler would make.
- Amadeus2490, on 11/07/2009, -1/+5I made scrambled AIDS.
- ChileanGoD, on 11/07/2009, -1/+5Good thing Will Smith is still alive.
- moskrin, on 11/07/2009, -2/+5Depends, are you pointing it out because it's funny or because you're a fundamentalist who thinks homosexuality needs to be "cured"?
Because you're either not very funny or a troll, respectively. - Paranor01, on 11/07/2009, -1/+4So much failure in your comment, it's almost impossible to correct your stupidity.
- copypastry, on 11/07/2009, -0/+3Thanks for your clarification cyko. Makes a lot more sense now.
Your entire premise depends on conditions being like homosexuality caused by single genes. Very often this is not the case.
ALD is one of those single-gene problems. The blindness they cured the other day with adenovirus gene therapy is one of those single-gene problems. They are caused by missing/misfolded proteins.
All they have to do is get the genes into the cells in a way that they can be transcribed and then transcripted. Bingo, metabolic pathway is repaired, lipid storage system is fixed.
Cognitive deviations from the "norm" such as autism, tourettes, other psychological disorders (and homosexuality if you want to lump it in there... I certainly wouldn't) are different.
The brain does almost all of its development in infancy/childhood. Of course it is genetically directed but also strongly directed by the environment. Overgeneralizing really badly - genetics/developmental embryology determine the gross structure of the brain (and possible capacity for neurons to connect to each other) and environmental stimuli determine the type and number of connections. Once the brain is set up, that's it. (yes I'm totally ignoring neurotypic plasticity but I don't believe it has a bearing on this particular topic)
TL;DR - There's no way I could give you "the gay" with a retroviral vector because there is no single "the gay" gene. - rolf, on 11/07/2009, -2/+5I'm pretty sure everyone thought that, but we have to trust that the lab coats know what they are doing.
- DDRSkata, on 11/07/2009, -0/+2And flight. Flight would be nice.
- inevitablity, on 11/07/2009, -1/+3Sounds great, but hit me up when these guys have figured out how to alter a virus for anti-aging, super strength, night vision awesomeness.
- Paranor01, on 11/07/2009, -2/+4You think Homosexuality is a disease that needs to be fixed, emphasized by your 2nd comment. That's why you failed.
Homosexuality is as natural as Heterosexuality. It's only seen as something needing to be 'fixed' because parts of society who base their thoughts on religion instead of reason, fallacy instead of fact.
Also, homosexuality is much more than a single "gay gene". Please educate yourself a bit more.
So yes, I do disagree with your entire argument because it's based on incorrect datum. - rossisdead, on 11/07/2009, -0/+2You mean all causes have effects and no one can predict them all? Well I'll be!
- moskrin, on 11/07/2009, -0/+1I see what you did there...
- thecyko1, on 11/07/2009, -4/+2Wow. I can see that you haven't given what I said any thought at all. I'm a bit disappointed that I have to further break down what I'm trying to say.
First, before I get into this, I would like to state, for the record:
I'm not trying to be funny. I am not trying to troll. I also don't believe in god.
This is a statement that takes into consideration the application of this technology 10, or even 5, years down the line and it's possible implications. The first logical step after this would be to use it to cure diseases and disorders. But what about after? What happens when, further down the line, this technique becomes commercialized. It's not just being gay that becomes a choice, but being straight as well. EVERYTHING that is tied to your genetics and affects your behavior becomes a choice. I just happened to use gay as an example because out of all the possibilities I could think of (bipolar, ADHD, schizophrenia, tourette's, etc.), this one would provoke the most discussion. Because, when we've reached the point when allowing a child to be born with a genetic defect is looked upon as immoral, we will have also reached the point where sexual orientation is a choice.
But, what this also means is you can be turned gay or straight against your will, possibly through a rogue strand of modified HIV, either purposefully or just a freak mutation.
Now, I didn't really want to get into race or gender with this, because gene therapy that alters physical attributes isn't something that has had any success yet. Anything that affects behavior, on the other hand, is fair game. And what better to provoke a discussion than the gay/straight issue and the effect this technology would have on it.
I really hope that I've made my point perfectly clear this time. If not, then I will move from disappointment to pity. - silent128, on 11/07/2009, -6/+3Does any one else think this could be a really bad idea?
- thecyko1, on 11/07/2009, -5/+1Go ahead and explain why that's stupid. If you're born gay, then there is a gene that makes you that way, just like there are people who are predisposed to schizophrenia. But since we're on the road to being able to modify those genes through gene therapy, being gay has then become a choice.
Do you disagree? - Hillsfar, on 11/07/2009, -7/+2I totally agree.
Scientists are playing with nature and they have no idea of the unintended consequences.
BT Corn. Sure it contains a pesticide. Also kills monarch butterflies.
Anti-fungal gene in certain vine crops - caused them to be more attractive to beetles.
These are just some of the less-dangerous unintended consequences. Wait til a stupid brain-invading altered virus like this decides to mutate or trade genes with another virus. - thecyko1, on 11/07/2009, -14/+2We're nearing the point where being gay is a choice.
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