The Future of Designer Babies

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A man and woman walk into an office where they are greeted by a fertility specialist, who then sets them in front of a computer. Here, the couple is able to scroll through various traits and characteristics, then mix and match them onto a computer generated infant so they can see how their chosen attributes will look when paired together. The man and woman decide on a baby boy with cornsilk blonde hair and emerald green eyes. Their future son will grow to 6 feet tall with an athletic build, have a genius IQ, and a predisposition for baseball. The doctor takes their order, and then schedules an appointment with the soon-to-be-parents to implant the embryo containing all those traits into the mother. While this scene may seem like a moment out of a science fiction novel, it is not too far off what very well may be available in the near future. Medical sciences and technologies are advancing rapidly, and in a society completely preoccupied with obtaining perfection, it should be no surprise to anyone that scientists are playing around with the idea of genetically engineering perfect humans. It is one thing to make the decision to enhance oneself with things like plastic surgery, steroids, collagen, herbal supplements, and so on. There is also nothing wrong with studying hard and practicing in a certain skill to reach expertise. But is it right to decide the fate of a child before he or she even has a chance to decide what they want for their self? Not only is there the sheer matter of right versus wrong, but there also many serious consequences to using such extreme sciences. Because these are new, experimental technologies, there is no predicting what adverse medical effects genetic modification could have on a child. Another plight... ... middle of paper ... ...miracles of nature, and the only way to ensure that humankind lives on and the beauty of diversity stays alive is to let nature be and refuse to incorporate genetic engineering in our procreative endeavors. Works Cited Abarado, J.D., LL.M., Anne-Marie. Designer Babies: Creating Perfection or Breeding Trouble. University of Houston Law Center. PDF. 03 Apr. 2011. Agar, Nicholas. "Designer Babies: Ethical Considerations (ActionBioscience)." ActionBioscience – Promoting Bioscience Literacy. Apr. 2006. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. Darnovsky, Marcy. "CGS : The Case Against Designer Babies." CGS : Center for Genetics and Society. The Center for Genetics and Society, 30 Nov. 2000. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. Ren, Yin. "Designer Babies: The Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering." MURJ. Spring 2005 ed. Vol. 12.28-32. MURJ. Massachussets Institute of Technology. PDF. 03 Apr. 2011.

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