# Should genetic engineering be banned? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 17, 2002, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-genetic-engineering-be-banned/104122 "2002-04-17T12:58:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-genetic-engineering-be-banned/104122/21 "2002-04-18T20:39:13Z")
I want to have a cat’s tail, or at least date a girl who does. And I wouldn’t mind if my children and grandchildren are atomic supermen. But humans have been genetically-engineering for hundreds of years. Before we always called it “breeding” and “hybridizing,” but it’s essentially the same as what we’re doing now with the glowing monkeys. Nothing to see here, folks. Move along. Don’t snag your feline tails on the police tape. ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-genetic-engineering-be-banned/104122/22 "2002-04-19T04:43:46Z")
The funny thing is that I acquired glow-in-the-dark flies yesterday. They don’t actually glow in the dark, they fluoresce green under black light. But it is still pretty bad assed. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-genetic-engineering-be-banned/104122/23 "2002-04-19T06:49:31Z")
edwino: those were pimentos. Go easy on the wacky tobacky. ---
**Author:** ![Demosthenesian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Demosthenesian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demosthenesian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-genetic-engineering-be-banned/104122/24 "2002-04-19T06:51:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Seriously, reputable scientists aren’t pursuing this venue of research to create a race of atomic supermen And why the hell not? I want my invincible army of supermen, dammit! I have cartoonish supervilliany to attend to! 😉 It depends on where you draw the line and how you distribute the benefits, really. While screening and correcting for disease is one thing, “designer babies” could lead to significant problems, especially if they’re only available to the very rich. I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with the concept of a genetically perfect “homo superior” ruling by force of parental (or grandparental) cash flow for eternity. On the other hand, Plato’s Republic might actually become workable. Whee Brave New World! ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-genetic-engineering-be-banned/104122/25 "2002-04-19T21:22:45Z")
My hesitation with GM’d humans would be that all the hot babes would genetically engineer an army of muscle-bound super-hunks with Staminol®. Before anyone gets all worked up debating any ideas with Parameter, [take a look at this short thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=106138) ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-genetic-engineering-be-banned/104122/26 "2002-04-20T00:06:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Demosthenesian \* > I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with the concept of a genetically perfect “homo superior” ruling by force of parental (or grandparental) cash flow for eternity. They wouldn’t need to depend on inhereted wealth. They would probably be naturally bigger, smarter, and better looking than regular people. Most likely, they would simply advance further in life simply through their own attributes. That is what has people worried. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-genetic-engineering-be-banned/104122/27 "2002-04-20T01:34:07Z")
Plus, they would secretly form societies like the X-Men or the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, where they could use their genetic superpowers to control the destiny of mankind. Or at the very leats, they’d try to take over like Khan did at the start of the Eugenics Wars. They should’ve executed the guy, not sent him into space on the Botany Bay! ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-genetic-engineering-be-banned/104122/28 "2002-04-20T03:54:16Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Demosthenesian \* > \*\* > And why the hell not? I want my invincible army of supermen, dammit! I have cartoonish supervilliany to attend to! 😉_\* See my post [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=110342) for my semi-feasible plan for doing it. I don’t think anybody read it – for God’s sake I’m using the natural logarithm in MPSIMS. But I think it can work and I am willing to put my putative hordes of villanous coconspirators on making it a reality. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-genetic-engineering-be-banned/104122.md?page=1)