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Originally posted by Doug:
but I think we need to distinguish the good (e.g. vaccines and other medical advances) from the bad (e.g. genetically engineering plants to create sterile seed so the genetic engineers can corner the market on seed, not to mention general abuse to the planet in the forms of pollution, etc.)
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I agree there, I never said (nor am I accusing you of saying I did) that we should just stop using all modern technology. That would cause too much unnecessary suffering, which I do not want.
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Originally posted by Doug:
Breast cancer as with most cancers will not be eliminated by natural selection because they generally occur well after the age of reproduction
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In age's past humans didn't live long enough to develop it...so it wasn't an issue then, (so perhaps that was a poor example for my point). Now that humans are living much longer lives (up to around 80 or so), they have to deal with the effects of age.
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Originally posted by Doug:
Evolutionary changes take thousands if not millions of years. Even granting the existence of a genetic mutation which provides, for example, immunity to smallpox, it takes many many generations exposed to smallpox to eliminate the gene for susceptibility to smallpox
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But such illments(like the flu and common cold) are/were wide spread across the world do to mankinds need to explore new areas (the Europains brought small pox to the Americas and the native Americans gave the Europians Syphillus(sp) for example). Why does that happen? advancement in technology...
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Originally posted by Doug:
And I'm glad that you avail yourself of the modern technology of optical correction of eyesight so you won't stumble into a paramite nest and meet an all too untimely end
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Aye...I go ahead and wear glasses because it improves the quality of my life. If I didn't have them I wouldn't be able to see well enough to do the things I enjoy the most (draw, write stories, etc).
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Originally posted by Doug:
Sorry, Rettick, but clones are meant to be identical to the original being.
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I think Rettick was refering to the personality...not the genetics. Sure we may inherit certain key aspects of our personality (ie. most members of my family are quiet and withdrawn in someway), but only the 'aspects'. The rest of what makes you 'you' is how you grow up.
Edit: I so hate it when I forget the '/' in the end tags...*grumble*
[ November 28, 2001: Message edited by: Dragadon ]