Battle for reproduction: Frankenstein's daughter
Uploaded on Mar 24, 2010 / 118 views / 133 impressions / 2 comments
Description
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and screening allow couples to
avoid having children with life-threatening conditions, but also
imply the possibility of 'screening out' certain disabilities,
raising the prospect of a generation of 'designer...
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and screening allow couples to
avoid having children with life-threatening conditions, but also
imply the possibility of 'screening out' certain disabilities,
raising the prospect of a generation of 'designer babies'. Can
biomedical breakthroughs shape what is to be human? Where does
science fact meet science fiction and how can we distinguish
between the two? This glimpse of a debate at the Battle of Ideas
festival, supported by the Wellcome Trust and bpas delves deeper.
3 comments
2. dianosaur
Oh my God, that's horrible. It's unfair that we as women have to give birth and have to endure all the pain. But better that than Frankenstein's daughter!
Vivien
Hi there, but why is it better than Frankenstein'ts daughters? Are you worried about the risks or do you think it could detrimental to women, the family? The more I think about it the more it could provide solutions and more choices for us but I'd be interested to find out your thoughts.
1. Vivien
We could live in a society where "everything that is natural about the human reproduction is subordinated to technology and human choice" as Sandy Starr puts it. This fantastic debate dreams about what is possible whilst also showing this is a long way off. I like the idea of not having to carry and give birth to a baby but maybe others disagree?