

Idea: A genetic testing service to allow parents to exchange newborns to reduce conflict 16 years later - amichail

The idea here is that parents would exchange their babies according to the results of genetic testing to reduce overall conflict with their children 16 years later.<p>For example, children who tend to take risks would be assigned to parents who also take risks as determined by similarities in their risk taking genetic profile.<p>To encourage women to have healthy babies, the algorithm would take into account the health of the baby so that babies of similar health are exchanged.
======
ivankirigin
0, this would be completely unreliable give the non-genetic factors in
personality.

1, it totally ignores that people care more for their own genetic offspring
than for other kids.

2, people having kids aren't thinking about teenage conflict. People that do
think long term think about relationships with adult children.

~~~
amichail
Why would your second statement be true? Parents don't care as much about
their adopted children?

~~~
ivankirigin
The vast majority of people would prefer to have children than to adopt. The
primal reason for having kids is continuing the genetic line. I don't think
we've advanced far beyond that.

~~~
amichail
I've always had doubts about evolutionary arguments like this. I somehow doubt
people are all that concerned about their genetic line.

~~~
rms
Maybe they don't outwardly think about their genetic line, but you can't
dispute that the vast majority of people prefer to have biological children in
the natural way.

~~~
amichail
I think it has more to do with not trusting the genetics of other people's
children. But extensive genetic testing can change that.

~~~
rms
I have a strong desire for my offspring to have my genetic code. I know many
other people with said desire. It just seems instinctual to me.

~~~
amichail
There's some randomness involved. Your biological children will not
necessarily end up being anything like you.

~~~
rms
Yes, but they're a lot more likely to be like me or have elements of me than
someone else's child. I realize that genetic testing (sequencing the entire
genome?) means that I might be able to get someone else's child that is more
like me than my own. But I'd still rather have my own biological child and I'd
much rather have my own biological child with amped-up intelligence and
mitochondria and cancer resistance. Genetic engineering is going to let us
create perfect cookie cutter children if we want, but it's also going to add
enormously to the lifespan of engineered children.

~~~
amichail
A child may resent being genetically modified in any way. Moreover, a child
may demand to be given to genetically similar parents.

~~~
rms
I think it's more likely the children of poor people are going to resent dying
50 years earlier than their genetically modified peers. Still, I'm sure some
children will resent being modified. There are likely to be a couple awkward
generations as we reach post-humanity.

~~~
akkartik
Both of you should go watch Gattaca if you haven't already:

<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119177>

_____________________________________________________

~~~
rms
yeah, I saw it, I liked it.

I don't think it will ever be like that because it's much easier to justify
the morality of genetic modification when you focus on life extension instead
of appearance/intelligence.

You made a bunch of spam posts that I modded down... did the system/editor
autodelete them or did you delete them?

~~~
akkartik
:) No need to have bothered. I was testing out the news.yc table width
resizer, and deleted them afterwards.

~~~
rms
cool. did you still lose the karma after you deleted the posts? I can give you
six points on other posts

~~~
akkartik
:) I think I did, but it's not a big deal.

~~~
rms
I fixed it

~~~
akkartik
Yes, you did. How? I don't spot any 1s turning into 2s..

Thanks.

~~~
rms
I did it to your six oldest comments

------
run4yourlives
Great Idea, now all you have to do is convince someone to exchange their baby
away.

As a parent, I can tell you that this will be harder than building a city on
mars.

------
rms
Genetic modification of children will catch on before this does. There's more
money in genetic engineering too.

~~~
amichail
The genetic testing I propose is easier and more ethical than genetic
modification.

~~~
rms
Yes, it is easier. The ethics are debatable but I am confident that in the
long run, genetic modification and cloning will win out.

Society today will never adopt what you propose. The advantage is just so
small and people are too attached to their genetic progeny. Perhaps societal
attitudes will shift in favor of what you propose, but I think by the time
that happens genetic modification will already have caught on.

