Quote:
Originally posted by octothorp@Aug 17 2004, 11:58 AM
But if we can use gene therapy to enable athletes to run the 100 in under 8 seconds, is there still really a point to competition? Does it render running, lifting, and throwing events pretty much pointless? Is there really any argument anymore for keeping sports 'pure'?
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Interesting questions there...isn't this elite level of competition primarily a genetic competition anyhow? No matter how hard the majority of us train, we'll never have the genes to compete in (e.g.) the 100 m at the Olympics. Why should someone take pride in the fact that they've been lucky enough to be born with athletic genes?
I'm not saying I wouldn't compete if I could...I've just never thought of it in this way before.
Edit: Honestly, if the result of a genetic modification is still human, then there's still going to be a limit on human performance. Let's let GM humans compete against each other then. If you start crossing humans and grasshoppers, though, then I might see a problem!