Spike Jones wrote:
>
> John Marlow wrote:
>
> > My point?... It's expensive. Deal with it. (And not by launching
> > dismembered astronauts to save weight.)
>
> How about humans genetically modified to 10 kg? Humans
> have genetically modified poodles and chihuahuas (~4kg) from
> wolves (~50 kg). Similarly domestic cats from the wild variety.
> No, forget it, unethical. Damn. Those born tiny would not be
> volunteers. We can use only volunteers.
Why? I didn't volunteer to live in this world. Given my druthers, I'd be
born 10-20 years in the future, if not more, with higher intelligence, a
better physique, and no astigmatism. Nobody else has any more right to
'volunteer' to be born where and when and as what they want. The only
thing unethical is engineering a person poorly. They must be designed as
well as possible for the environment intended: higher oxygen scavenging
ability, tolerance of low pressure, high UV radiation, low humidity, and
1/3 gravity. Failing to do so is the only thing that is unethical.
Breeding dogs to be better hunters for their intended environment is
entirely ethical, breeding one for the desert and sticking it in the
arctic is what is unethical. Same goes for people.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon May 28 2001 - 09:56:36 MDT