The Future

[Charlene]

I recently watched this movie in bio class that took place in the future where the society ranked each person by their blood. If they were born through the "faith" way (which means born naturally, without human influence on their genetics), they were considered the "in-valid" people. Only the ones who were born genetically altered by other humans were considered "valid". It was in their blood. Those who were genetically altered were altered into desired features like 6 feet tall, blue eyes, smooth skin, talented in hockey, no baldness during mid-age, die at 70 years old, never get down syndrome, etc. They could practically choose the features of their offspring. These "in-valid" people would never get the best jobs regardless of how unique and exceptional they were. Their blood is the first item tested and if their blood test fails... nothing else matters... The protagonist within this movie had a dream of flying up into space. Since he was "in-valid", the best he could do was become a secretary cleaning the inside of the rocket. When he was born, the doctors stated that he would only live 30.2 years due to the fact that he has a 99% risk of dying from this certain disease. However, he lived passed it.

The discrimination within this movie is just ridiculous... but on second thought, it might become reality...

Would our future end up like this?

[intellectualfish]

Gattaca...awesome movie. No, this won't happen. George Bush is going to blow humanity off the face of the planet before our technology will progress that far.

[mith]

sounds like eugenics without the killing.

[Chris4]

Sounds ridiculous. I really cant see this happening. I like the fact that your in-valid if your born naturally. Should be the other way round dont you think?

[protozoan]

I saw that film. And i have one reservation about that. When he was uncovered by the one man (i think by doctor) on base that right handed man can never piss by left hand, then i must be really unique .

[Charlene]

haha... yepyep~ it is that movie~ I keep forgetting the name of it~ lol~
you like that part at the end? I thought he was going to get caught before he had a chance to fly into space~ lol

I personally think that the valid or invalid part might not come true soon... but the part where you can choose the characteristics of your offspring might come true~ lol

However, there's one thing that I don't get at the end... What happen to the real Jerome (Eugene) at the end?

[MrMistery]

Saw that movie 2. i don't remember what happens to jerome though, i don't think they say.
Now, if we don't wipe oursleves off the face of the earth before we can reach that point, i think genetic manipulation of our children is quite possible

[Charlene]

oh... The ending part about Jerome was really unclear~ lol. No one in my class really understood the ending~

[abstemious_entity]

yeah. i've seen that movie too...years ago. the concept is awesome but i don't think that the valid and invalid thing will ever be possible. if it were, then what's the use of thinking or looking forward to the future? human will has to count for something...

[protozoan]

I think genetic manipulations would be really something great. If you imagine that there would be no cancers, syndromes or paedophiles, mass killers, no schyzophreny, no paranoia and so on. We could programme yourself to total hapiness, to have tendency to do only good things for us. Yeah, after all the tendency to do something is genetic trait too.

[Beetle]

The idea of super society without genetical faults is great but I believe, in today state of human mental evolution, is imposible. Can you imagine the chaos that would accure when one company/nation starts to manufacture perfect humans? I seriosly doubt that they would give that tehnology to the hole world. They would more probably slowly (or a little bit faster and agresive) create an army of super soldires and super scientist and conquere the rest of the world.
Maybe in a few centuries we will become smarter and less selfish and than it will be posible for the humans to become the gods. (unless we destroy ourselves before that)

[biostudent84]

It's already happening whether you want to believe it or not.

You can now get tested to see if you have the gene for breast cancer (women to see if they will get it, men to see if they are a carrier.) If insurance companies find out that a woman has this gene, their rates skyrocket.