Beyond designer babies: What’s the future of ‘bio-modifications’?

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Vanderbilt University professor Michael Bess’s presentation, “Our Grandchildren Redesigned,” was presented at the Dawn or Doom conference on [September 27]. Bess described a future where a person’s status and worth are defined by their modified capabilities. He envisions a world where products that enhance human intelligence, communication, physical ability and talents are constantly offering new upgrades, turning bio-modifications into the new normal.

With the introduction of more potent, precise drugs, the average life and health span of individuals will increase, and aging will be slowed down, if not reversed. On the other hand, the enhanced physical and mental performance of some individuals over others will, Bess believes, also result in the division of groups based on performance.

Advancements in the field of bioelectronics offer life-altering treatments to individuals with physical impairments.

Bess also believes that creating designer babies using genetic modification is a method that will be abandoned in favor of epigenetics.

Traditional genetic modification selects what genes will exist in an individual’s body. In contrast, when using epigenetics, a person’s DNA remains constant but some traits are turned on and used while others are programmed to stay dormant…

Bess said that with epigenetics “you can tweak, adjust, boost and upgrade at will.”

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Talk explores future of genetic manipulation

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