Baby is healed with first personalized gene-editing treatment

What an insanely callous and shallow take. I don’t even know where to start. You’re trying to claim the moral high ground by complaining that a privileged child didn’t suffer and die? Do you even understand the point of reducing poverty?

An absolutely terrible and tone-deaf way to phrase that thought, but the fact of the matter is that most of the world (you and I included, in all likelihood) will not get access to this sort of thing in our lifetimes. Not because modern medicine won't have been there yet, but because our lives (and those of our children) are simply seen as being worth significantly less than a rich person's desire to become richer.

How many people can even afford to get multiple opinions for a weird lump on their back? Or go to the dentist for a strange toothache? How many people can afford to get consistent exercise and eat healthy? How many lives would be saved or at least massively bettered? We already have the means to extend the life expectancy of the average person, and it's not being used. Obviously this is a wonderful medical advance, but it's depressing to wonder who it's for.

So obviously we should not be excited about it? Lose me with that noise.

Do point out where that was said, and I will be happy to correct it! It's important to have nuanced opinions and discussions about things.

> An absolutely terrible and tone-deaf way to phrase that thought, but the fact of the matter is that most of the world (you and I included, in all likelihood) will not get access to this sort of thing in our lifetimes. Not because modern medicine won't have been there yet, but because our lives (and those of our children) are simply seen as being worth significantly less than a rich person's desire to become richer.

I'm as negative about the rich and powerful as anyone but this is such a cynical take - that might have been applied to many medical treatments in the past that have become relatively commonplace and easily accessible to people of all classes, at least in sane countries with sane healthcare systems.

Certainly, you may choose to conduct yourself like this. I won't stop you! And other people who might've otherwise seen your point will be turned away from it. I prefer to have constructive conversations with people I view as equals, not stupid or infantile.

Observe that the replies to my post do engage with the argument I made.

Indeed, my view is heavily American-centric. And the trends of the past-- which you're right about-- may not apply to the future given increasing wealth inequality, the cost-of-living crisis, and the climate crisis (for which undoubtedly the poorest of us will be forced to shoulder most of the burden).

I'm explicitly not saying this work shouldn't be done, it should! But it does not exist in a vacuum, and it would be silly to pretend that it is not colored by vastly unequal access to modern healthcare. The reason I get excited about technology is because of the potential it holds for making us all happier and freer to do the things we like for longer. We are lost if we do not at least speak about the thunderclouds on the horizon for this philosophy of technology.

> We are lost if we do not at least speak about the thunderclouds on the horizon for this philosophy of technology.

I think, every once in a while, it's okay to just celebrate without looking for the the clouds :)

That's fair, I respect that view. :)

What are you talking about? Since the 1800s people have been shipping vaccines to "most of the world"

Everyone could afford to "eat healthy" and get exercise if governments and social planners put in a modicum of effort. Unfortunately they aren't directly incentives to do so.

Framing either of these things as a wealth issue ignores both how wealthy even the poorest in the world are and the systems responsible for the problem. For everything else there's health insurance, yet another horribly mismanaged system.