this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2024
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[–] Boomkop3@reddthat.com 50 points 2 weeks ago (19 children)

oh great, commercial eugenics

[–] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 9 points 2 weeks ago

We knew it was bound to happen sometime with capitalism

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[–] Etterra@lemmy.world 28 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

That's not how IQ works you idiots.

Wait. Who's the idiots? The ones selling the service, the ones falling for the service, or the embryos that they decide to have low IQ?

I'd say the first two, and if the parents are responsible for the education of the kid, all three.

[–] Soyweiser@awful.systems 10 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (5 children)

Re one, what is worse? People selling anti wifi amulets that they know don't work? Or people who sell them while not understanding (nor believing) that they dont work? (More likely it doesnt matter as it remains a scam. Ow god, im getting close to doing actual ethical thinking here).

[–] Etterra@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Reminds me of the Wi-Fi blocking Faraday cages to "protect" modems a few years ago. Those at least did exactly what was promised lol

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[–] ShakingMyHead@awful.systems 25 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

"Given these three steps, what's the logical fourth one?"
"..."
"God this embryo is an idiot."

[–] swlabr@awful.systems 9 points 2 weeks ago

Doesn’t even know the basic strats for these pattern questions, SMH, Do You Even IQ Test? (trying to start DYEIQT)

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 24 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Good luck having an embryo pass an iq test. Most of them can't even read.

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[–] V0ldek@awful.systems 23 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (16 children)

The thing with IVF is that it's already incredibly weirdly eugenicist.

Like, read some of the parameters they'd screen you for if you wanted to donate sperm. You get bonus points for having a PhD? I'm sorry? You're looking for a better-educated sperm?

And when you apply for IVF and choose a donor you get their education and job. "I want my cum to be a pilot!" The fuck.

[–] bitofhope@awful.systems 9 points 2 weeks ago

Lamarckian eugenics!

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[–] luciole@beehaw.org 20 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I didn't understand how the hell the "pro-life" crowd would cheer for IVF since it entails destroying plenty of embryos. Now I understand: it's the opportunity for some good old fashioned eugenics.

[–] gerikson@awful.systems 23 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

They’re not cheering. Evangelical anti-abortion activists have long targeted IVF and it’s been practically banned in at least one US state.

[–] luciole@beehaw.org 5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Some days ago Trump came out saying he loves IVF and he's the "father of IVF" so I assumed the evangelicals are at least OK with it, considering how the Republican are extremely close with them.

[–] rook@awful.systems 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

He will say what he thinks needs to be said, and the forced-birthers understand this. They haven’t defeated abortion yet and aren’t going to split their efforts, but they will continue to put pressure on ivf in the meantime. Remember, they weren’t always anti-abortion, and didn’t switch to it overnight! Their current position that life begins at conception necessarily conflicts with current ivf practises, and they’ll say they don’t disapprove of ivf in principle, and they might even have a friend who’s getting ivf, but talk is cheap and they’ll absolutely oppose any legislation that tries to guarantee access to it. Which is precisely what is happening.

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[–] gerikson@awful.systems 6 points 2 weeks ago

Trump has absolutely no principles or beliefs other than those that profit him.

[–] swlabr@awful.systems 17 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Reminds me of how marriage advice has its roots in white supremacy. (CW: a lot. self harm, SA, abuse)

[–] HelixDab2@lemm.ee 16 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

IQ is so incredibly complicated, and we really don't know how it works, and what genes allow for the possibility of high IQ. So what are they even screening for? If they're just looking at broad trends in population IQ compared to genetics, then what they're actually seeing are environmental factors, which play an immense role in whether or not potential is ever reached.

But on the plus side, the people capable of paying for this bullshit are going to have significantly higher chance of proper nutrition for their kids, access to good education, and ability to avoid environmental toxins, so they just have to compare their "handpicked sperm" to the population as a whole and they'll show great results.

Yeah this is an obvious scam lol.

(It's not about IQ specifically, but to anyone interested in how many different environment factors play a role in human behavior/outcomes, Behave by Robert Sapolsky is an excellent overview of research in a broad variety of fields. It's definitely not a light read, but it doesn't assume too much prior knowledge, and is one of my favorite books on what makes us tick.)

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[–] antifuchs@awful.systems 15 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I would definitely hate to be burdened with an IQ. Such a terrible thing to be born with

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 7 points 2 weeks ago

Only if burdened with emotional intermittence, as well.

[–] Cracks_InTheWalls@sh.itjust.works 13 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Gross, but I'm not shocked. IVF and prenatal genetics screening is big business, it was really only a matter of time until someone tried pulling this. As much as it shouldn't be the case, the 'line must go up' edict holds in the medical business too. I know some large lab services companies that are likely watching groups like this with great interest (but letting them take the risks first, which is smart because this is a con).

My hope is that someone squashes this and we keep screening limited to risks for severe developmental disorders (which, even still, is at least a little ethically problematic) and conditions that lower the probability of the pregnancy coming to term. But we'll see - there's gold in dem der embryos.

Edit: Read the original investigative article. Modern Nazis are reportedly involved. Again, gross, but not shocked. https://investigations.hopenothate.org.uk/superbaby-factory/

Would love to see further independent verification from a non-activism-focused source (to be clear, I am not saying the investigators are being irresponsible in their reporting), but the way newsroom budgets have been slashed these days, it's really only outlets like this doing actual, old school investigative work.

[–] WhyDoYouPersist@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

GATTICA! GATTICA! GATTICA!

[–] barsquid@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Won't one crucial difference be that Gattaca's genetic selection actually worked? This will be a techbro "move fast and break things" con job.

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[–] sailor_sega_saturn@awful.systems 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

GATTACATS would be the most cursed musical possible and every day I give thanks that we live in a world where it doesn't exist.

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[–] o7___o7@awful.systems 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Scott Alexander pokes his head up out of the astroturf and whispers, "It's showtime."

[–] bitofhope@awful.systems 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

If I only have about fifty embryos, can I pay $50k to have them scanned now and have another 50 embryo scans left on my account or do I have to have all of them on hand immediately?

[–] dgerard@awful.systems 10 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

training your sperm to pass raven's progressive matrices

[–] bitofhope@awful.systems 9 points 2 weeks ago

At least corvids are smart. Better that than some birdbrain's progressive matrices.

[–] maol@awful.systems 6 points 2 weeks ago

I actually read a Red Dwarf fanfic about this once where Rimmer's parents had paid for embryo selection to make sure all their kids had high IQs and good genes because they wanted to make sure they all got into the Space Corps

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