Elin > Recent Status Updates

Whoa. Did not expect a deep dive into severe mental illnesses, but here we are. She's certainly a great writer and very sincere. This is not an easy nor a comfortable read but I want to learn what she has to share. Here we go.

Meh. Too relatable. I don’t need to learn how to intimate that I have a hangover or ask “what’s up.” I think I’m the wrong audience for this book.

Wow

All right now we are getting to the meat of the matter. Genetic testing of disorders, describing a couple having one child with cystic fibrosis, then fertilizing eight eggs, extracting the DNA after the viable embryos reach eight cells, and picking an embryo which were not positive for expressed cystic fibrosis and implanting and carrying that child to birth. No mention of what happened to the other embryos.

(Contd)
- is from random genetic mutations, simply directed by natural selection (traits favorable to survival are carried on my the surviving organisms)
-is not predictive - what is adaptable at one time may not be at other times.
-is not a linear process (not progress), not simple going toward more complicated but simply adaptations toward survival - traits may be lost if they’re not effective toward survival

We are now at “evolution,” but what is interesting is that as he describes Darwin’s work and theory of evolution, he really is describing natural selection. His clarifying points are that evolution (cont’d)

So great!!

53 minutes into the book, discussing therapeutic cloning. Fascinating. Really enjoying the presentation of the material. Concise and straightforward, with interesting and relevant examples.