Keep your hands off that neko-chan human scum!
We're in a time where scientific advancements are accelerating at an astronomical pace. Depending on how you measure them, perhaps you could even say that in some ways they are advancing at an exponential rate.
Among the things that are advancing is genetic technologies.
Of course, there are things preventing us from doing things like resurrecting the dinosaurs. As far as I'm aware, they haven't even found DNA yet.
But there are some things that we could possibly do.
Remember when they grew an ear on a rat?
What about when they 3D printed human body parts?
What if we modified someone's DNA to a small degree, to change one small portion of their body, and grew that portion? This could mean that we not only could print someone a new organ if it was diseased, or skin to graft on after they were burned, but correct their DNA for a defect, and print them an organ without that defect. These organs would be made with your own DNA, and practically identical to the rest of your cells, and therefore have minimal chance of rejection.
This also opens up the possibility to have custom body parts printed.
Of course, you could get a surgical modification to have your ears pointed tomorrow if you wanted to, but they just do a small cut and stitch your ear together. Imagine if instead, you could choose how your ears might look, then have custom ears printed, and grafted on.
Right now it might be a bit of science fiction, but not too much so. A few more years of scientific studies on modifying DNA and getting a bit better at surgery to minimize scarring and we're off to the races.
What if we decided to make these genetic changes generational? Sure, it's cool to get elven ears, but imagine if you could pass them on to your kids?
What about if you wanted to become a neko girl though?
Neko Wikipe-tan by Kasuga~enwiki CC BY-SA 3.0 CC BY-SA 2.5 CC BY-SA 2.0 CC BY-SA 1.0 (source)
Original work by Malyszkz
Sure, super cute, with the whole ears and tail...but what about sex?
Furries might be the butt of thousands of internet jokes, but it's perfectly legal fun. You might think it's a bit weird, but there's nothing wrong with someone having a sexual attraction to anthropomorphized humans, or humans in animal costumes.
But what happens when those people actually are animals?
Sure, a genetically modified person is completely capable of consent, but are they fully human? Or are they something else? The crossbreeding of humans with different genetic modifications could have completely unforeseen effects. It might be that in the future cross-breeding of people with certain genetic modifications would not be allowed, without first adapting the DNA of one to be closer to that of the other.
Thankfully we have many more years before we really have to worry about beastophilia with genetically modified humans. Today it is only science fiction. In a few years? Who knows?
I'm, personally, holding out for the full customized body replacement. I'd settle for a fully functional set of eyes, though.
Realistically, I think generic engineering is the best option for our species. With modern medicine saving lives and allowing the continuation of generic lines of those who would have otherwise died to continue, we will need to find an alternative to natural selection.
"generic engineering" XD LOL!
I've long thought about whether or not we should revive victims of genocide... Like the Native Americans.
As for body parts though, I kinda want to be a cyborg. I want upgraded arms and legs. And eyes.
Got to love autoincorrect!
We could correct eyesight, teeth, and get rid of some nasty generic disorders. There would probably be some unintended consequences, but what doesn't?
I'm not sure I'd wanna get my eyes replaced to fix my near-sightedness...
At first I thought this would go the way of printed body parts = putting a flesh doll together -
The real question is what would stop people from making flesh doll copies of us? I mean it gets kinda creepy thinking about that one dude with your specs. One day the law books are going to have a lot to consider.
Well, they'd still need a brain. Maybe we'd have robotic brains then though. But you'd still need a doctor. Of course, maybe then they'd have robotic doctors in every mall that you can use for a fiver.
So they'd just steal your DNA, then print a robotic clone that'll do anything they want.
Unless you meant like a brainless doll...then that's like printing your own corpse...that's pretty gross...but at least it'd still be warm from the printer. :P
Yeah I was actually thinking about the meat equivalent of the modern day blow up doll. Somewhere someone is already making it, as we speak - believe that!
I doubt that because it still requires so much expertise. There's a small chance. There are more people making android sex dolls.