Re: GZGL FH - Genetic engineering.

>    Determining the characteristics of a mind from a genetic sequence
would
>be an extremely hard problem. Determining the physical characteristics
of a
>body from the the genetic sequence would be easier.

Not disputing you here, but just for your info they've already linked
(at
least tenuously) many behavioural traits (from cheerfulness to sexual
orientation) to variations in single genes and they don't think it'll be
too long before they'll know enough to manipulate complex genetic
systems
(including intelligence). 

>    Of course, to any normal person, the above thoughts can be stomach
>churning?

I thought so too, but apparently within the actual field opinions are
shifting on the topic. In little under a year its gone from a taboo
topic
to almost run-off the mill coffee-table conversation material. And, as
one
eminent biologist pointed out, "when IVF was first being developed in
the
1970s doctors and lay people alike thought the idea absurd and
repellent...now it has become widely accepted and commonplace."

Scary stuff.

Cheers

Beth

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Elizabeth Fulton
c/o CSIRO Division of Marine Research
GPO Box 1538
HOBART 
TASMANIA 7001
AUSTRALIA
Phone (03) 6232 5018 International +61 3 6232 5018
Fax (03) 6232 5199 International +61 3 6232 5199

email: beth.fulton@marine.csiro.au