GM Human Embryo That Will Dramatically Alter The Human Race!

The advance of genetic engineering makes it quite conceivable that we will begin to design our own evolutionary progress.
Isaac Asimov


Courtesy: Daily Galaxy

Cornell University researchers in New York recently revealed that they had produced the world’s first genetically altered human embryo. The GM embryos created would have become the world’s first genetically altered man or woman with staggering implications for the human race!

Unfortunately, it was destroyed after five days due to ethical and public interest issues. The Cornell team did not get permission to keep the embryo alive. But what if they were allowed to do so?

It is even thought possible to so drastically alter human genomes that a type of superhuman species could emerge. The fear with germline engineering is that since it is inheritable, offspring and all succeeding generations would carry the modified traits. This is one reason why this type of engineering is currently banned- it could lead to irreversible alteration of the entire human species.

John Harris, Professor of Bioethics at Manchester University says that having the ability to improve our species by eliminating diseases such as cystic fibrosis, hemophilia and even cancer with the help of such technology but refusing to do so, makes little sense and cannot understand why some people are so insistent that we shouldn’t try to improve upon human evolution. “Can you imagine our ape ancestors getting together and saying, ‘this is pretty good, guys. Let’s stop it right here!’ That’s the equivalent of what people say today.”

Nearly every day now we are inundated with new genetic discoveries. Scientists can now pinpoint many specific genes including being lean, living a long life, improved self-healing, thrill seeking behavior, and having an improved memory among many other incredible traits. These genes can be manipulated in ordinary humans, in effect creating Super-Mutants.

Theoretically, options are nearly limitless. Even a gene that exists in another species could be brought over to a human cell. Imagine some of the incredible traits of the animal kingdom that some humans don’t possess such as night vision, amazing agility, or the ability to breathe underwater.

So are we on the road to producing Frankenstein monsters or making a benign super human race with extraordinary traits including super brains that use 80 to 90% instead of the present 10%? Needless to say, the implications are mind-boggling! With technology that borders on the magic with our present understanding of science, we could then probably make the great leap into a Type I or II civilization within a short span of time which otherwise would perhaps have taken thousands of years! And that would mean reaching for the stars as a truly galactic civilization!

I’m of the firm belief that we would be there before the middle of the next century!

Looking Farther Into The Future

Perhaps advanced alien civilizations have gone much farther and graduated into post biological entities, even beyond Type 3 civilizations, which, according to Dr Michio Kaku, may have reached a technological level high enough to travel through and between multiverses as a matter of course! (We are still Type 0!)

The Post Biological Universe

The possibility exists that cultural evolution over the long time scales of the universe has resulted in something beyond biology, namely, artificial intelligence (AI). Such a post biological universe cannot mean a universe devoid of biological intelligence, since humans are an obvious counterexample. Nor does it mean a universe devoid of lower forms of life. Rather, the post biological universe is one in which the majority of intelligent life has evolved beyond flesh and blood intelligence, in proportion to its longevity.

Is it possible that very advanced intelligent life exists where biology has morphed into post biological machines? The motivating factor is the inherent desire to improve mental capacity. Is it possible that highly developed alien beings have already reached a point in their evolution where, having reached the peak capacity of their biological brains, have taken the next logical step and opted for robotic brains equipped with artificial intelligence?

According to Steven Dick, NASA Chief Historian (as told to Ker Than in Popular Science):

This brain swap may not be as far off for humans as one might think. In only a few decades, the computer revolution here on Earth has produced supercomputers capable of performing more than a quadrillion calculations per second. (According to research by Hans Moravec, an artificial intelligence expert at Carnegie Mellon University, that trumps the human brain's estimated top speed of 100 trillion calculations per second.)

Some scientists speculate that in a few decades, an event called the technological singularity will occur, and machines armed with computer brains will become sentient and surpass human intelligence.

Civilizations equipped with technology light-years ahead of our own could have already experienced the singularity thousands or even millions of years ago.

What is the likelihood that such advanced robotic races exist? Given the limitations of biology as we know it, the force of cultural evolution, and the imperative to improve intelligence, it could very much be in the realms of possibility. This is perhaps our destiny!

James Gardner, author of The Intelligent Universe: AI, ET, and the Emerging Mind of the Cosmos answers an interesting question by Universe: (His first book, Biocosm, suggests that intelligence doesn't emerge in a series of Darwinian accidents, but is hard-wired into the cycle of cosmic creation).


James Gardner

Universe: You often cite Ray Kurzweil's ideas of our trans-human or post-biological future. As a writer, what do you think the role of writing -- or more generally, of culture -- will be in a post-biological society? Does the singularity necessarily imply an end to creativity and the arts as we know them, or simply a huge shift?

Gardner: I believe that culture and art will continue to flourish in a post-biological future. That future will build on what has gone before. Indeed, it will represent a fusion of the human and the trans-human. (As you saw in the last part of my book, I disagree with the pessimistic views of Arthur C. Clarke in Childhood’s End.) Because it will vastly expand the realm of intellectual possibilities and the sheer size of available cultural space, the onset of the Singularity should facilitate an immense burst of creativity and give birth to new artistic genres that we can only dimly foresee.

Beyond the future!

So if we ever come in contact with an ET race, we could well be interacting with post biological entities – sentient machines of mind boggling complexity! Or something even beyond that? Looking far, far into the future, could post biological entities have no form, but exist only as pure forms of energy?

Is this our final destiny, millions of years in the future?


Image credit: Roger Johnston.

Cheers!


Refs:
www.dailygalaxy.com...
www.dailygalaxy.com...
www.setileague.org...
www.daviddarling.info...
whyfiles.org...
David Darling
www.urbanhonking.com...





[edit on 29-3-2009 by mikesingh]

Yep, I believe that we are destined to reach beyond the stars...

IMO, at this time our main focus should be on AI and GM humans (under strict control, of course)

Interstellar travel is the major cornerstone we have to pass, so far no significant breakthrough has been done in that area

Good post mike, S+F for ya...

I do not agree that we use only 10% of our brains though, I was always under impression that our brain always uses all the parts with less or more activity in each depending on the current set of tasks

Great post Mike !

I thought we already were made of energy ?
Atoms and all of there sub particles ?
I guess the "ideal" form would be some sort of intelligent, conscious , plasma that floats, transports around at will.

Would love to have some traits of other animals.

I like the line "And apes said "ok guys thats good, lets stop here" ...!!

It would be great if everyone had the same memory as our parents and all the generations before them. Imagine coming out of the womb knowing everything, how much of a leap would that give the human race ?

I am all for gene therapy, manipulation and I hope governments give scientists a free pass some day. I also think religions should be systematically phased out of everything, but I guess that is a it radical.

[edit on 29-3-2009 by R3KR]

I really doubt if a superior human species would evolve out of this. In today's world physical strength really does not matter, since we use weapons to fight and dominate.

The real benefit of this genetic engg would be that we could produce a disease resistant and defect free species on earth in the near future.

For example there would be no vision defect in people, no neurological disorder etc. I think this will still remain the realms of medicine.

Originally posted by sunny_2008ny
I really doubt if a superior human species would evolve out of this. In today's world physical strength really does not matter, since we use weapons to fight and dominate.

The real benefit of this genetic engg would be that we could produce a disease resistant and defect free species on earth in the near future.

For example there would be no vision defect in people, no neurological disorder etc. I think this will still remain the realms of medicine.

The most recent episode of UFO Hunters (episode 15) covered this subject. Much of it is speculation, but one retired New Mexico police officer had pictures from a partially mutilated cow that had a humanoid looking fetus inside of it. With the advances we KNOW to have been made in genetic modification, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a lot more going on that we don't know about.

The title of this thread demanded my attention so I felt obliged to read.

The content, whilst highly speculative, is well researched and compiled so I feel compelled to believe the possibility/probability of it's content.

Typical Mike.

I feel that genetic engineering is the way of the future and holds almost limitless possibilities be they good or bad.

Nuff said, great post!

O.K. have a flag too

[edit on 29-3-2009 by OZtracized]

I was just watching a show on the Science Channel about this. It can be done and Geneticist know it. There's just moral and ethical questions to be asked but it will happen eventually or it has already happen and we will find out years from now.

They had this show called Superhuman and they talked about taking the best traits from different humans and also adding traits to create a super species. One Dr. said it's not a matter of if but when. He said he know he sounded like Dr. Frankenstein but he didn't care because he felt this was the next step in human evolution.

His name was Dr. Bruce Lahn. He said:

genetic engineering, coupled with other technologies such as pre-implantation genetic screening, would likely speed up evolution enormously, and create life forms, including those derived from our own species, in ways that the Darwinian process can never hope to accomplish.
www.blisstree.com...

This guy is smart but he see's genetics as a way to jumpstart evolution for the next generation of superhumans.

I also wonder if we create these beings, will they have a soul or will they be souless and extremely smart biological machines.

What if humans have already created these beings and they let us reach a certain point in evolution and technology and then they wipe us out. They use us for research until they have calculated that we might become a threat.

Maybe that's evolution. We have selected ourselves out of evolution by creating this race of souless biological machines and they only allow humans to go so far in evolution and technology.

This of course is a nightmare scenario and I doubt and hope that it's not true.

Great thread

Humans are perfect just the way we are. Faults and all.

I can't help but feel that this would be used for nefarious reasons by TPTB to produce super soldiers and willing non aware slaves for their coming Empire.

I've seen it time and again, where something is promoted for seemingly credible reasons, being hijacked by power hungry twats to use to their own evil ends.

As a side note, I felt a pang in my heart for that poor embryo that was destroyed.

Originally posted by R3KR
I guess the "ideal" form would be some sort of intelligent, conscious , plasma that floats, transports around at will.

It's possible that God is this - a super intelligent, super conscious form of energy that's beyond our present comprehension! After all, 'our' God is purely a human concept around which devolves religion. I guess science and philosophy are sides of the same coin. If one thinks otherwise, one would never even begin to understand what life and nature is all about!

Cheers!

Very good post.

I think about these things often and I believe that it's a natural thing that we are heading towards genetic manipulated humans. I understand the humans themselfs will be artificially created, but the path leading to us becoming creators is in my opinion only natural.

Of course thhis path is to be walked with care, and as with all things humanity does good and bad will come out of it. This on it's own isn't a reason for me to be against it. It is once again natural to produce good and bad things.

reply to post by mikesingh


considering the government's of the world seek to manipulate the human race to its destruction and promotion of disease to kill off the population (company's who genetically alter our crops like monsanto with terminator seeds, and who spray diseases on our meat...) and who vaccinate our children to the promotion of cancer's and retardation.....

whoever believes they will alter your DNA for your benefit are lying to yourselves.... see that God made us the way we are on purpose, altering his creation to be any "better" leads only to destruction.

we were not meant to see at night, for then the day would curse us, we were not meant to smell 2 miles away for then smell would curse us, we were not meant to breathe underwater for confusion would overtake us, we were made in God's image exactly how we were meant to be in this present state, no we will be changed by God himself in the future to the state we long to be in, but doing so now is a cheat that leads to the same place all cheating leads, failure.

all your base are belong to God

[edit on 29-3-2009 by daersoulkeeper]

Originally posted by Flighty
Humans are perfect just the way we are. Faults and all.

I can't help but feel that this would be used for nefarious reasons by TPTB to produce super soldiers and willing non aware slaves for their coming Empire.

I've seen it time and again, where something is promoted for seemingly credible reasons, being hijacked by power hungry twats to use to their own evil ends.

As a side note, I felt a pang in my heart for that poor embryo that was destroyed.

Do you mean like this:

www.bibliotecapleyades.net... and also discussed here www.abovetopsecret.com...

(I realize the second link isn't offsite, just more convenient to post as such). IMO, we are here in the form we're in because of the inherent limitations/challenges which represent obstacles to overcome in spiritual growth, not in spite of it.

[edit on 29-3-2009 by carole9999]

reply to post by carole9999

I must add that because so many films are within the human meme (with an enormous number of them having to do with tech hybrids/creations as in Battlestar, Magnus, Terminator--I wonder if this is/has been done by a civilization already. Perhaps it is so vivid in our meme because on a soul level we were involved in such. Also, how much of the films "Firestarter", "Soldier" and "The Bourne Identity" are loosely based on fact? I read somewhere that Andy Pero (Project Superman) was actually on the set of "Soldier" while it was being filmed. No way to verify this, perhaps ask Kurt Russell (who hates big government).

reply to post by mikesingh

The advance of genetic engineering makes it quite conceivable that we will begin to design our own evolutionary progress.
Isaac Asimov

This quote reminds of something somebody once said -

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing !

reply to post by carole9999


I couldn't agree more.
And those links are very interesting, will read up on it.

Due to my parents having vision issues, I've been given the option for genetic counseling on the NHS when I decide to create a child. I know there some things they won't do because of ethic, but I assume if I slip them a fiver they'll sort it out for me.

I'll be handing over my "sample", the aforementioned fiver and this list :
Female, brunette, brown eyes, intelligent, super immune system (just like her daddies), immortal and if possible telekineses

This is probably the best thread I've seen since I signed up here. S & F, I wish could give more than just 1 of each!

Pertaining to this embryo, it is only a matter of time until scientists go through with this. I think it is very possible within our lifetime, given the dramatic increase in scientific understanding over the last 30 years. However, exciting and intriguing as this may be... This will ultimately spell the end for the human race as we know it. Biological androids (half biological, half robot) are the next step in the evolutionary process for us Humans. Or perhaps entirely biological entities... superior to that of the human species in every way.

These biological entities may possess diamond scales, flexible diamond based skin, telepathy, remote viewing capabilities, infinite life span, full spectrum light vision... For example, x-rays, or Ultra Violet vision, No ego, refined emotions so we can always feel like we are in a state of bliss and heaven, you know... ecstasy.

Also, I don't think the shift from human to android/ biologically based superior entities will be peaceful. There will be a lot of bloodshed as the weaker and more disruptive race gets cleansed from society (as in us humans as the weaker race of course).

[edit on 29-3-2009 by sliceNodice]

Look out Gattica, here we come.

Genetic engineering will become another tool in the handbag of mankind. We will do great things with it and yes, it will be abused by those who lack morality.

Lets look at some history in the field, shall we?

I remember back in the 70's when the first baby was conceived in glass. In vitro fertilization was considered a blasphemy and many people screamed about how unnatural it was and against Gods plans etc, etc, etc

The first child, Luise Brown I believe was her name, went on to live a normal life, got married, had children of her own. These days the procedure is accepted across the world as a normal and healthy way for people to conceive a child if the natural way isn't working.

Has In Vitro been abused? Yes. Look no further than octomom who recently used the procedure in a horrible way.

What I'm saying is Genetic engineering is not in itself a bad thing.

What we as human beings decide to do with it, is another matter all together.

wupy

A couple of questions about all of this.

Since the OP pointed out that we now know "many" of the genes that produce leanness, longevity, and other positive traits. I think that the key word here is "many", we do not know what all of the genes do. Until we do it is too early to play around at manipulating human genes.

Let's say that the embryo that was destroyed had several positive traits reinforced, like height, strength, and longevity. The embryo was allowed to be implanted and resulted in a baby. What happens if there are unintended consequences? What happens if the baby is deformed in some way? You can't destroy the baby, that is infanticide and most of us agree that is murder.

Let's say that the defect is not obvious, maybe a genetic defect like Lou Gehrigs disease? So, our wonder child grows up, gets married and reproduces, never knowing that he/she is passing on bad genes. Now it is too late to stop, the genes have entered the gene pool and will be passed on and on and on. What do we do about that?

One of the problems that I see with genetic engineering is that our ethics, morals, and philosophy have not developed to the point where we are able to answer questions like the one I mentioned.

Also, our science has not advanced to the point where we can guarantee that we dont' produce dangerous side effects. It is very disturbing to me that scientists are willing to proceed anyway, fully aware that their work may be damaging to the society.

I do agree that genetic manipulation could result in major breakthroughs for the human race but like most technologies, there are many dangers as well. We cannot move ahead until we know more and are able to eliminate the most destructive side effects.

For those of you who will say that I am "paranoid" or that I don't understand the technology or the "safeguards" that are in place. I would mention that one of the first commercial applications of genetic engineering was insect resistant corn, called Starlink. Starlink produces a natural pesticide and was intended to be used as feed corn for livestock but the busy little bees carried the Starlink pollen to the other corn fields and before you know it, Starlink was being grown all over the place, even in fields where it was never planted. It has cost billions of dollars to try and correct but it's not likely that we can put that Genie back in the bottle.

Here is a link about Starlink,

[url=http://discovermagazine.com/2001/mar/cover ]

Last of all, I would like to say that many of the posts that I have read proclaiming that a new human superrace could be produced by genetic engineering remind me of the arguments for Eugenics. The goals for the Eugenics crowd sounded very noble and they fooled many people all over the world. The Nazi's liked what they heard and used the Eugenics arguments to support their forced sterilization programs, the "mercy killings" of the retarded and physically deformed, and of course the concentration camps.

The ethics of the 20th Century were not sufficiently advanced to control the Eugenics movement and as a result millions of innocent people paid the price.

IMO, the ethics of the 21st Century are no better equiped to control the genetic engineering movement. I think that we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past century but this time with more technically advanced tools.

How about our esteemed scientist find a cure for Type 1 diabetes, the common cold, Ebola, and many other diseases before they change humans to androids or Lord knows what we would create.

Discover a way to eliminate drug and/or alcohol addiction. Create a magic potion to fight obesity or skin diseases.

When scientist can do all I mentioned above I will be favorably impressed.

As we can see gene manipulation is not too difficult. Curing the ills of today's people is a much more complicated process.

Lets fix the humans we have before we create super humans.

Should we not allow humans to evolve at the preprogrammed time?