Ahem. A transhumanist woman wanting to have a genetically engineered baby would do well to start with a sperm bank where she can screen many donors for a good genetic baseline.
Actually, since we’re genetically engineering anyway, we should be able to combine genetic material from two males or two females (or just clone, of course). And once an artificial womb gets developed you won’t need to rent anything, um, living.
In any case, not too many prospects for dating :-/
You and me baby ain’t nothin’ but mammals, so let’s do it like they do on the Discovery Channel suddenly acquires a whole new meaning X-D
Let’s start thinking about the appropriate lines now so in ten years time we’ll (or those of you young enough to sill have children a decade hence) will have the skills to win over appropriate mates.
I was picturing a universe in which the people were already unfrozen and healthy; it might be rude to ask things like “Is this your original set of limbs?”
My reading is heavily culture dependent. Presently many woman object to their partners signing up for getting cryonics. For a transhumanist who signs up for cryonics it’s valuable to screen for woman who are okay with cryonics.
In a transhumanist bar that wouldn’t be necessary. Asking “Are you whole body or just head?” with the target of finding out the cryonics status presupposes that the cryonics rejection isn’t a concern. That what makes “Are you whole body or just head?” funny.
gjm’s interpretation is what I was going for. Chronological age only! (Warning: link to TVTropes) I wasn’t sure how to keep the same form and still have it flow nicely.
Actually, since we’re genetically engineering anyway, we should be able to combine genetic material from two males or two females (or just clone, of course). And once an artificial womb gets developed you won’t need to rent anything, um, living.
If we’re assuming artificial wombs are widely used, humanity effectively becomes a eusocial species.
Since the ratio of women/men willing to do this will be low, willing women will have lots of dating market power. It would be silly for them to not use this power to get a high quality mate/provider.
Sperm banks simply do not cater to transhumanists. They first and foremost screen donors for sperm count (to insure that they can make the most money out of every stored sample). Sperm count isn’t strongly correlated with intelligence.
After sperm count, important factors for sperm banks are: Physical health, height, and weight.
Plus, sperm donors are mostly a self-selected bunch, and I’d guess that men who are in no immediate need of money would not wake up in the morning thinking of donating sperm.
Finally, upbringing is probably a far more important factor than mere genetics; a wise mother would want to ensure availability of the father for childrearing.
Plus, sperm donors are mostly a self-selected bunch, and I’d guess that men who are in no immediate need of money would not wake up in the morning thinking of donating sperm.
There are man who want to “spread their DNA” and therefore donate sperm for reasons besides money.
Not that I’ve used them, but as far as I understand, sperm banks provide a fair amount of data on sperm donors including education. If you stick with Ph.Ds the baseline IQ level should be decent. Besides, sperm banks are a customer-oriented business. They will look for factors which women demand.
Exactly. Most women demand attributes that they themselves find attractive in mates e.g. height and other appearance-related factors. Transhumanists don’t make up most of the female population.
Sure, but the great advantage of sperm banks is that you can easily filter a large number of possibilities.
At the lets-genetically-engineer-super-IQ level you’d probably want to start by paying the sperm bank for whole genome scans of several likely candidates.
Ahem. A transhumanist woman wanting to have a genetically engineered baby would do well to start with a sperm bank where she can screen many donors for a good genetic baseline.
Sorry, males :-/
In your scenario, a transhumanist man would do the same with egg banks, and then rent a healthy womb.
Also possible.
Actually, since we’re genetically engineering anyway, we should be able to combine genetic material from two males or two females (or just clone, of course). And once an artificial womb gets developed you won’t need to rent anything, um, living.
In any case, not too many prospects for dating :-/
You and me baby ain’t nothin’ but mammals, so let’s do it like they do on the Discovery Channel suddenly acquires a whole new meaning X-D
Why? People want intimacy for a thousand reasons other than breeding.
Which is precisely why “let’s genetically engineer our possible children” isn’t a great start.
Let’s start thinking about the appropriate lines now so in ten years time we’ll (or those of you young enough to sill have children a decade hence) will have the skills to win over appropriate mates.
This should be a separate thread: Best Pickup Lines in a Transhumanist Bar :-)
Are you whole body or just head?
In a universe where you have people of both classifications, that could become mildly rude.
We do have both classifications. People who have whole body cryonics insurance and people who have head cryonics insurance.
I was picturing a universe in which the people were already unfrozen and healthy; it might be rude to ask things like “Is this your original set of limbs?”
But you are correct, and that didn’t occur to me.
My reading is heavily culture dependent. Presently many woman object to their partners signing up for getting cryonics. For a transhumanist who signs up for cryonics it’s valuable to screen for woman who are okay with cryonics.
In a transhumanist bar that wouldn’t be necessary. Asking “Are you whole body or just head?” with the target of finding out the cryonics status presupposes that the cryonics rejection isn’t a concern. That what makes “Are you whole body or just head?” funny.
I want to grow old and not die with you.
/blinks
I don’t want to grow old.
Perhaps Calien takes “grow old” to mean “accumulate years and experience and memories” rather than “accumulate wear and tear and damage”.
That’s called “growing wise” :-P
gjm’s interpretation is what I was going for. Chronological age only! (Warning: link to TVTropes) I wasn’t sure how to keep the same form and still have it flow nicely.
Yes, you should do this.
First, you should establish a Transhumanist Bar :-)
Want children in maybe ten years, might work on me.
That line might actually work on some people. It might work on me if I were more inclined to parent.
If we’re assuming artificial wombs are widely used, humanity effectively becomes a eusocial species.
I don’t know about that. I suspect that at this point things get really interesting and probably really unstable for a while :-/
Let’s assume that she has the typical desire to be married to the child’s father.
And that her partner (if she in in a hetrosexual relationship) wants children, or at least does not want to be cuckolded.
Really see no reason to assume that an avantgarde transhumanist woman would stick to such traditional trappings of the old patriarchy :-P
Since the ratio of women/men willing to do this will be low, willing women will have lots of dating market power. It would be silly for them to not use this power to get a high quality mate/provider.
Why do you think so?
Provided she needs or wants one. And provided she wants a male one. I know lesbian families with lots of children.
Men are greater risk takers and are far more likely to be transhumanists.
Sperm banks simply do not cater to transhumanists. They first and foremost screen donors for sperm count (to insure that they can make the most money out of every stored sample). Sperm count isn’t strongly correlated with intelligence.
After sperm count, important factors for sperm banks are: Physical health, height, and weight.
Plus, sperm donors are mostly a self-selected bunch, and I’d guess that men who are in no immediate need of money would not wake up in the morning thinking of donating sperm.
Finally, upbringing is probably a far more important factor than mere genetics; a wise mother would want to ensure availability of the father for childrearing.
There are man who want to “spread their DNA” and therefore donate sperm for reasons besides money.
Not that I’ve used them, but as far as I understand, sperm banks provide a fair amount of data on sperm donors including education. If you stick with Ph.Ds the baseline IQ level should be decent. Besides, sperm banks are a customer-oriented business. They will look for factors which women demand.
Exactly. Most women demand attributes that they themselves find attractive in mates e.g. height and other appearance-related factors. Transhumanists don’t make up most of the female population.
Sure, but the great advantage of sperm banks is that you can easily filter a large number of possibilities.
At the lets-genetically-engineer-super-IQ level you’d probably want to start by paying the sperm bank for whole genome scans of several likely candidates.