67
votes
Accepted
How would the (US or world) economy recover if healthcare became unnecessary?
The economy would boom! Without the need to deal with ordinary malaises all sectors would abruptly be able to reduce spending on day to day healthcare. No more losses to sick days, no more expensive ...
- 4,925
42
votes
Constant acceleration as artificial gravity. Would flipping over halfway still be comfortable?
Turnover point doesn't need a period of zero-g or any kind of noticeable effect on the passengers. Simply don't stop thrusting.
That is, when you get to the halfway point of the trajectory you start ...
- 2,938
41
votes
Are there ethical ways to profit from uplifting?
Treat Them As Employees!
This is simple: treat them as employees in a business. Sure, they may have different desires and needs than others, but uplifting a species produces employees with a very ...
- 32k
38
votes
How would an adult artificial human behave after they exit the biofabricator?
The problem with this is that mature brains develop in parallel with the body, growing and making connections initially 'organically' but later on in response to external stimuli. Physical skills ...
- 14.7k
35
votes
Could a Weapon of Mass Destruction, targeting only humans, be developed?
Viruses are highly species-specific, i.e. a human virus will only kill humans. So a biological weapon will do the job. The best virus to use is beyond my knowledge, and I am a bit concerned a ...
- 10.7k
35
votes
Are artificial genes discernible from natural ones?
A couple of bioengineers decide to play silly buggers with the exobiologists downstairs by cobbling together an artificial life form and claim it is a naturally-evolved alien animal
A DNA-based alien ...
- 54.5k
34
votes
Is it possible to genetically modify human lungs to breathe Martian air?
No.
As has been pointed out in the comments above, there is a distinct lack of oxygen.
There also happens to be a distinct lack of air itself. Assuming you created skin that could survive the low ...
- 19.7k
32
votes
Real DNA encryption (or at least making it hard to decode/change)
Will not happen in foreseeable future
Let me show you this XKCD first:
[White Hat, holding a laptop, is talking to Megan who looks at her smart phone.]
White Hat: Biology is largely solved. ...
- 33k
29
votes
How would the (US or world) economy recover if healthcare became unnecessary?
The Broken Window Fallacy. The economy will BOOM
Any turnaround and/or labour that goes to just keeping things and people whole and alive is a burden on the economy.
No, the medical industry is not ...
- 41k
28
votes
Accepted
Anatomically reasonable respiratory system for human-derived merfolk
So, it's really hard to breathe water. The biggest problem is not where the gills are on your body but instead how gills might exist at all. The fundamental limit you'll run into when designing ...
- 12.1k
25
votes
How would an adult artificial human behave after they exit the biofabricator?
Legal loophole!
As several of the answers point out, an adult with a "blank" printed brain would be at best at the stage of a newborn (but probably worse, because the newborn's brain is much ...
- 5,489
25
votes
Are artificial genes discernible from natural ones?
First of all - I love the premise of this question that it's a bunch of scientists pranking each other and that beers were involved.
The answer given by Blue Skin I think is technically correct....
...
- 11.4k
24
votes
Could genetically engineered horses make cavalry survivable on a battlefield with modern technology?
No
Armoured cavalry is faster than horses, carries self-propelled guns, is more capable of traversing most terrain, and offers a much higher combat value-per-unit than any animal could.
You could make ...
- 27.6k
21
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to have detachable natural armor?
I'm going to suggest a parasitic symbiosis as the solution to this, the armoured "shield plate" on it's back is not in fact an integral part of the creature but is attached leech-like to its host. ...
- 44.7k
20
votes
Accepted
Why might it be desirable to engineer aquatic humans?
1. Science/because we can
The main reason we haven't already tried that in real life is moral. It is considered wrong to alter the human DNA. Remove that moral bias and there is no reason why ...
- 1,285
20
votes
Is a religion which allows cyborgs but not AI or genetic engineering realistic?
Yes.
Internal consistency is not a requirement for religious policies. (Citation: Earth.) And while what you've described skirts what we consider inconsistencies (embracing technology in some guises, ...
- 1,371
19
votes
Accepted
Taxonomy of genetically engineered species
That they are genetically engineered is a red herring -- in the early days of Linnean taxonomy nobody has the faintest idea about genetics.
H. sapiens corvus -- no way.
"Cannot reproduce with ...
- 82.9k
19
votes
If a civilization has biotechnology, why do they still prefer mechanical augmentations?
The answer is there in the question: Micron-level precision of fingertips isn't something you get from meat.
Biologics have a superior user experience/look & feel. There are likely some things ...
- 2,901
18
votes
Real DNA encryption (or at least making it hard to decode/change)
Chimera.
https://www.boredpanda.com/chimera-cat-split-face-different-eyes-gataquimera/
Quimera may be what’s known as a Genetic chimera, a rare natural
occurrence whereby an individual is made ...
- 303k
18
votes
Accepted
Ending "Natural" Reproduction
Social engineering
Firstly, expect this to take at least three or more generations to take full effect, you're in for the long game here.
Step 1. The medical service
Many of the groups more reluctant ...
- 116k
18
votes
Accepted
Would human life expectancy increase by a significant amount of years if all organs had the regrow/self-repair ability that the liver does?
Most death is not from cellular wear and tear.
Joints wear out. But it is unusual for wear and tear to be a cause of death. For orientation: causes of death in the US.
https://www.statista.com/...
- 303k
18
votes
Are there ethical ways to profit from uplifting?
It solves the labor shortage
I have an orchard with a genetically enhanced fruit that is very valuable, however, since it's the far future, no one wants to come work in my orchard. However, there's an ...
- 13.5k
18
votes
Are there ethical ways to profit from uplifting?
Mermans
Only one third of the Earth's surface has apartments on it. This generation of Facebook users refuse to live at the bottom of the ocean. They say that's where no air is. Little do they know ...
- 63.6k
17
votes
Is it possible to have detachable natural armor?
Crustaceans do this routinely.
from http://www.public-record.org/video/lobster-shedding-it-s-old-shell-for-a-new-one/TDLb5WcSREM
When crustaceans grow, they outgrow their shell (their "armor"). So ...
- 303k
17
votes
Can genetic modifications become hereditary?
If the modification happens on someone's germline cells, it becomes hereditary.
Notice that modifying zygotes, or an embryo, tends to have much the same effect, since germline cells will develop from ...
- 131k
16
votes
Accepted
How do you produce fast grown working clones?
How would your sufficiently advanced human/alien/other-worldy scientist grow a clone in a short timeframe of a day or so?
Start with the absolutely realistic concept of organ printing, make it a far ...
- 4,551
16
votes
Accepted
Bioengineered reversible sterility
You could give your population Mild Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome and in particular the variant that reduces (but does not block) the transcription of the androgen receptor. This is done by ...
- 1,029
16
votes
Real DNA encryption (or at least making it hard to decode/change)
You don't need to encrypt the DNA sequence in order for other people to be unable to use it.
A DNA molecule has no intrinsic meaning, meaning that while you might be able to discern patterns, you ...
- 802
16
votes
Accepted
Practical reason for genetically engineering exotic skin colors in humans?
The skin color is an unintended byproduct.
Your humans have been genetically engineered for disease resistance, self-synthesis of certain vitamins and amino acids, slightly different neural synapses ...
- 303k
16
votes
Can a virus that causes forced evolution exist?
Yes And No
As L.Dutch pointed out, retroviruses routinely insert their RNA into the DNA of the host cell. If such a virus were carefully engineered, and targeted germ cells (sperm and eggs), it could ...
- 27.6k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible