[MURG] fixing defects (was off-topic posts)

[digfarenough]

--- Ed Minchau <spider_boris at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Also, what is a "defect"?  Things like
> schizophrenia,
> manic/depression, and any number of other disorders
> must have some evolutionary advantage or they would
> have been selected out of the gene pool long ago.
> 

I think that argument only works for disorders that
occur in other animals as well as in humans. I
actually don't know if animals can be schizophrenic or
depressed (there may be animal models of these
conditions, but are they actually conditions that are
present in nature?)
Medical science has been perpetuating genetic diseases
for a long time by allowing the diseased to live long
enough to reproduce. Animals with social systems that
do things like share food among the members of the
society can also help propagate such diseases because
their shortcomings are made up for by the others.
Thus in some cases, defects may not be advantageous,
but simply may not have had a chance to be removed
from the gene pool.

> Suppose for a moment that John Nash was uploaded,
> and
> his schizophrenia removed... would he still be the
> same person?  Would he still grasp mathematics in
> the
> same way?
>

Likely not, but he might still choose to have it
removed anyhow. Before I was put on antidepressants, I
long debated whether or not I should take a drug to
change who I am. I've also considered the possibility
of having my depression permanently cured after being
uploaded.
Perhaps the question we should ask isn't "Would he
still be the same person?" but "Which person would he
prefer to be?"
Of course, I can't answer for him as I'm not even sure
of my own answer. :)
 -Eric

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