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A few weeks into sixth grade, Colman Chadam had to leave school because of his DNA.
The situation, odd as it may sound, played out like this. Colman has genetic markers for cystic fibrosis, and kids with the inherited lung disease can't be near each other because they're vulnerable to contagious infections. Two siblings with cystic fibrosis also attended Colman's middle school in Palo Alto, California in 2012. So Colman was out, even though he didn't actually have the disease, according to a lawsuit that his parents filed against the school district. The allegation? Genetic discrimination.
Yes, genetic discrimination. Get used to those two words together, because they're likely to become a lot more common. With DNA tests now cheap and readily available, the number of people getting tests has gone way up—along with the potential for discrimination based on the results. When Colman's school tried to transfer him based on his genetic status, the lawsuit alleges, the district violated the Americans With Disabilities Act and Colman's First Amendment right to privacy. "This is the test case," says the Chadam's lawyer, Stephen Jaffe.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 03 2016, @08:57PM
Just wait for the pre-marriage DNA tests that start reading out your probability of producing "defective" offspring, that one's going to be a real hoot when it gets here.
How is that a real hoot? I would like to know before hand if we can create a viable offspring if that is our long term goal. Or if certain diseases are more likely, would allow for better monitoring during pregnancy. Also in backward countries where abortion is illegal, preventative testing can save a lot of heartache down the line.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday February 03 2016, @08:59PM
Real hoot: Drama, bad movie plots (Bollywood will eat it up), teenage maturity level emotional angst.
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://news.stanford.edu/2023/02/17/will-russia-ukraine-war-end
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 03 2016, @09:25PM
Speaking of Indian culture, it should be only a few years before an Indian kid with an MD starts a DNA testing arranged marriage service.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday February 03 2016, @09:03PM
Medical companies will not stand for this.
Some genetic diseases still exist because without guidance enough people become carriers that its a viable disease... so eight generations of carriers only reproducing with non-carriers, or even not reproducing at all, means you'll end up with a disease that'll die out on its own.
Medical companies exist for long term cash cows... never cure the cough if you can sell cough drops for 40 yrs, etc.
(Score: 3, Funny) by frojack on Wednesday February 03 2016, @09:30PM
frojack tears of a 5 foot section of tinfoil and passes it to VLM, shiny side down so VLM will not see his own reflection.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday February 03 2016, @11:21PM
He's more right that anyone wants to admit. I don't think he's so right that the medical companies will actively suppress development of the technology, but what investor backs a scheme that endeavors to terminate its own income stream? New products are all backed by investors, whether from Wall Street, or within existing company's R&D pipelines.
The Polio vaccine was an accident in that it did wipe out the disease- what vaccine developed in the last 30 years even has a chance to eradicate its disease (aka income stream)?
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://news.stanford.edu/2023/02/17/will-russia-ukraine-war-end
(Score: 2) by linuxrocks123 on Thursday February 04 2016, @12:17AM
Polio isn't officially considered wiped out yet; the only disease that is is smallpox. Eradicating diseases from the whole world is very difficult for a number of easily inferred reasons.
Also, you need not invoke conspiracy to explain why more recently developed vaccines are less effective. A more logical explanation is that the low-hanging fruit is already picked: the easy-to-vaccinate diseases already have effective vaccines.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Thursday February 04 2016, @01:32AM
Oh, but invoking conspiracy is fun. If "low hanging fruit" were the true motivator for developing health improvement technology, clean drinking water (ala DEKA Slingshot) would have been conquered 20 years ago, or more. There are tons of relatively easy to cure diseases that happen to be difficult to monetize for one reason or another, so instead we develop cancer therapy machines that cost tens of millions of dollars, because the payers in those markets have deep pockets.
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://news.stanford.edu/2023/02/17/will-russia-ukraine-war-end
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Thursday February 04 2016, @03:51AM
You don't even need a conspiracy - that implies people working together to suppress a cure. All you really need is a capitalist medical infrastructure. You have $X to invest in medical research, for the purpose of turning a profit. Which sounds like it will give you the best return on investment?
A treatment that will potentially eliminate the targeted disease from the planet
A treatment that could save the lives of millions of people who can't afford to pay for it
A treatment that improves the lives of wealthy patients so long as they keep taking it regularly
If you chose A or B, congratulations, you're a decent human being. Enjoy the warm feeling that brings to your heart, and leave your bank account by the door when you leave, because you clearly don't have what it takes to get rich.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Thursday February 04 2016, @02:05PM
that implies people working together to suppress a cure. All you really need is a capitalist medical infrastructure
Put on your philosopher's hat and see if you can draw a meaningful distinction between a "capitalist infrastructure" and "people working together to suppress less profitable endeavors."
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://news.stanford.edu/2023/02/17/will-russia-ukraine-war-end
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Thursday February 04 2016, @02:25PM
Try your own hat and see if you can come up with a meaningful distinction between collaboration and conspiracy.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 04 2016, @03:09PM
That's easy:
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Thursday February 04 2016, @10:20PM
That's easy:
capitalist infrastructure:
Each one for himself makes the decision, without coordinating with the others. Market forces ensure they come to the same decision.
people working together to suppress less profitable endeavours:
They all coordinate and come to an agreement.
So, if all the major players in a market independently decide to raise prices at the same time - that's not collusion or price fixing, but if they are observed communicating with each other about it it is?
There is so much availability and exchange of information in today's markets that everyone is effectively communicating with everyone else, regardless of whether or not they ever meet face to face, or exchange e-mails or telephone calls.
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://news.stanford.edu/2023/02/17/will-russia-ukraine-war-end
(Score: 2) by compro01 on Thursday February 04 2016, @02:49AM
Polio isn't officially considered wiped out yet; the only disease that is is smallpox.
Only human disease. Rinderpest (a disease related to measles that infected cattle) has also been eradicated.
(Score: 2) by Tramii on Wednesday February 03 2016, @09:14PM
How is that a real hoot?
Remember this? https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=14/09/14/121233 [soylentnews.org]
Sometimes, ignorance is bliss!