"Designer Babies"

Great film i thought,
It's called 'Gattica'

While exagerated of course the film does raise a very good moral issue.

If 'designer' babies became common, would it increase the class divide as lower income families would not be able to raise the funds to make sure their children were so perfect?
As our knowledge of genes expands beyond hair and eye colour and we can isolate behavioural influencers this becomes all more important a question.

Gattica was a very good movie, and I don't think quite so far fetched in how 'perfect' genes might get used. There is already talk about using peoples (naturally occurring) genes as a prescreening to get health insurance, the government has been talking about banning the practice, a practice that hasn't started yet mind.

I would assume that the doctors currently are simply selecting the best zygote for the parents wishes. Not actually tampering with the DNA. However, I am also sure that day isn't too far off.

Right or wrong... well it could eliminate genetic diseases that doesn't sound all bad. I can't tell you why but it just feels wrong. Perhaps it reminds me too much of a Brave New World. Which would be possible if we can indeed choose who will be intelligent and who will be stupid.

dont we already unconsciously select what kind of babies we want through the choosing a sexual partner process?

why is it immoral? if someone desperately wanted a child and there was a massive risk of it developing a prob such as i dont know haemophillia then why not be allowed to choose? we are all jumping on the bandwagon that we were created and not made anyway.
for all we know, science fiction may be right and we are all some experiment and been sent off on our own

No, I don't look at people I like and decide if they will provide me with good looking children. I guess some people do, but personally I don't.

Realistically, they won't necessarily have a good looking child. Also the people who are doing this obviously aren't conceiving naturally so already are 'messing' with nature.

I think it's a bloody good idea, especially for couples that have to pay for IVF treatments etc to conceive. It lessens the risk of genetic disorders etc which in turn could well lead to a healthier pregnancy!

If a couple want's to pick a boy or a girl then let them, it doesn't really matter does it? Not all fertilized eggs will become a person/baby so why shouldn't they their preference catered to if possible?

I want one!

I wonder how many times a white couple has chosen sperm from a black donor.

I think mixed babies are adorable.

no i mean its unconscious, scientists have looked into this and proven that with every potential mate we choose we are considering whether they are healthy to provide a child.

That's right. It's not like there's some thought process to it, it's just instinctual in what you're attracted to.

tell my mate dave that.

Whats that mean for the impotent people, then?

They will not have children.

they need to drop a viagra.