Gattaca is happening!

Yeah.  I heard this story on the radio yesterday as well.

Oh the science is certainly very cool.  And there could be some truly wild benefits:  heart gone bad, grow a new one from skin cells and get a transplant with a new heart without anti-rejection drugs.  (But do you then condone poor liefstyle choices like smoking and obesity?)

But the ethical aspects are through the roof!  Staggering.  Ignore the same-sex couple genetic offspring thing for a moment.  Genetic specification and manipulation...  Stem cell theft from someone, and creation of illegal offspring...  Military implecations...

This may be one that while "can be done", maybe totally shelved due to "shouldn't be done".  Even in sci-movies and TV, it's pretty universal that this type of technology led to nothing but horrible consequences and was thereby banned.

And this isn't science vs religion.  This is scienece WITH ethics which IMHO has a rightful place at the table.

I had exactly the same thought, as the other part of GATTACA is also on it's way.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/10/02/161110956/will-low-cost-genome-sequencing-open-pandoras-box

I just got the Gattaca blue-ray from Amazon yesterday and watched it with my son last night. One of my favorite movies. Aside from liking it in general, the costume designer for Gattaca is Colleen Atwood who is from my home town. She's won 3 Oscars so far.

Anyway, back on topic, I'm going to get a jump on things and start my "borrowed ladder" consulting business now. Time to brush up on my genetics, optometry, leg extension surgery....so much to do, it might cut into my off season tri training.

The whole genetics stuff is both fascinating and scary to me.

It makes you wonder what kind of stuff they're going to be doing in 50 years.  I just hope they get the immortal gene figured out before I get too old.  I'd hate to live for 1000 years as an 80 year old guy.  

Everyone should do this! It's wonderful!!

Disclaimer: My company does interpretation of the sequencing data. I have a financial stake in this